Switzerland:WEF Under Attack in Zurich

Anti-WEF protests gather pace
swissinfo
January 21, 2006 5:29 PM


Anti-globalisation protests have kicked off to a peaceful start across Switzerland, demonstrating against next week's World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Davos.

Demonstrations are taking place in a dozen cities including Bern, Basel, Geneva, Lugano, Lucerne, St Gallen and Chur, many with less than 100 participants.

The scene in Bern was dominated by so-called "cultural" protests, with music blaring from speakers, including reggae and hip-hop, and street theatre.

Some activists took to the streets with placards emblazoned with anti-WEF slogans. Others released multicoloured balloons into the sky.

Lucerne hosted a street party. Marches were set to take place in Lugano and St Gallen.

However, opposition to the WEF took a nasty turn on Friday night when opponents in Zurich vandalised the home of a management consultant and a building belonging to a technology company.

The incidents – which involved the use of graffiti-spray and the breaking of window with an explosive device – caused SFr2,000 ($1,557) worth of damage, according to police.

Recent years

Demonstrators in recent years in Bern were unable to march through the streets of the Swiss capital because of a ban by local authorities.

Last year riot police were on hand to break up an unauthorised demonstration attended by a few hundred people. Dozens were detained.

In 2005 participation in anti-WEF events in Switzerland was low key, with up to an estimated 2,000 taking part.

Organisers hope that more protesters will turn out in force this year.

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Photos of the paint-bomb attacks on a Swiss national bank and the OSEC business network building in Zurich:
http://ch.indymedia.org/de/2006/01/37795.shtml