Violent protests erupted in several Swiss cities as American flags were burned and riot police clashed with demonstrators ahead of President Trump’s arrival in Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum.
Trump is scheduled to arrive Wednesday and is expected to deliver a speech at the annual gathering of global political leaders and corporate executives.
His visit comes amid heightened tensions with European leaders after Trump doubled down on his push to acquire Greenland for U.S. national security reasons and declined to rule out military options.
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The Davos forum, held in eastern Switzerland, is one of the world’s most high-profile economic summits, bringing together heads of state, CEOs, bankers and policymakers to discuss global trade, security and geopolitics.
Around 300 protesters marched through Davos Jan. 19 to oppose both the forum and Trump’s planned appearance.
Chanting slogans and holding banners reading “Trump not welcome,” demonstrators accused Swiss authorities of legitimizing what they described as authoritarian and plutocratic politics by hosting the U.S. president.
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Images from the protests showed masked demonstrators setting fire to American flags, while local media reported smashed windows and other property damage.
Swiss outlet Swissinfo reported clashes broke out after police moved to disperse the crowd.
Officers in full riot gear deployed water cannons, chemical irritants and rubber bullets and said they were targeted with fireworks.
The outlet also reported a police statement said “paint bags were thrown at the facades and shop windows were smashed on the corner of Bahnhofstrasse and Uraniastrasse”, with the amount of property damage unknown.
Two police officers were also reportedly hit by stones but remained unharmed.
Similar demonstrations were held elsewhere, including in Bern, where a protest was broken up as police sealed off the city center.
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In Zurich, thousands marched Sunday night, with one placard reading, “Put the Trumpster in the dumpster.”
Activists from the Swiss NGO Campax also projected a cartoon image of Trump onto a ski slope near Davos, branding him the “Spirit of plutocracy.”
Trade tensions are expected to dominate discussions at the summit, alongside talks on the war in Ukraine and broader global security concerns.
Trump addressed the Greenland issue in a social media post early Tuesday.
“As I expressed to everyone, very plainly, Greenland is imperative for National and World Security,” Trump wrote. “There can be no going back — on that, everyone agrees. The United States of America is the most powerful country anywhere on the globe, by far.”
