"Democracy instead of WEF dictatorship" Around 600 demonstrators march to the WEF in Davos in protest
With placards, criticism of Donald Trump and demands for global justice, hundreds of demonstrators set off from Küblis GR towards Davos.
17.01.2026, 14:43
17.01.2026, 14:47
SDA
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- Around 600 demonstrators took part in a protest march against the WEF in Davos.
- African farmer activist Massa Koné called for clear rules for international corporations.
- The demonstration, which also featured anti-Trump messages, attracted more participants than last year and culminated in an authorized closing rally in Davos on Sunday.
Around 600 demonstrators made their way from Küblis GR to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on Saturday morning. Among them is the African farmer activist Massa Koné. The participation of US President Donald Trump at the WEF makes the counter-vote even more important, according to a spokeswoman.
It was his first visit to Switzerland, said Massa Koné in an interview with the Keystone-SDA news agency in Küblis. And he has criticism in his luggage: "The WEF has lost its raison d'être. Poverty and inequality are increasing worldwide."
The well-known farmer and lawyer from Mali campaigns internationally for the rights of local farmers and communities so that they can keep their land and thus their livelihoods.
Half of the demonstrators from Switzerland
With his visit to Switzerland, he is in a country that is both committed to Africa and home to corporations that are criticized worldwide for possible exploitation. "It's a dichotomy. Switzerland should create clear conditions for people who want to bring their money into the country and require respect for human rights," demanded Koné.
It was very important to have someone like Massa Koné at the action, Maeva Strub, spokeswoman for the "Strike WEF" collective behind the annual authorized protest hike, told Keystone-SDA. Koné's participation shows that the goal of a global voice against the WEF is being achieved.
Around half of all demonstrators came from Switzerland. The remaining participants came from England, Spain, South and West Africa and Germany. They are calling for an end to capitalism and wars, which would drive climate collapse, and are campaigning for a needs-based democratization of the economy.
"Decisions at the WEF are undemocratic, as they are made without taking the population's interests into account," criticized Strub. Posters carried slogans such as "Democracy instead of WEF dictatorship" and "Democracy instead of oil oligarchy".
Swastikas against Trump
But no criticism was greater this year than that against US President Trump. One demonstrator even dressed up as Trump and wore the well-known "Maga" cap with the modified ironic slogan "make world wars great again". On a board, the woman stuck a swastika made of US flags with the slogan "New McDonald Trump-Burger eat the poor".
An elderly Graubünden activist wrote "The ibex would be very happy if Trump were in prison" on an ibex plaque in Rhaeto-Romanic.
The organizers were pleased that Trump gave the protest action a boost. This shows that a critical awareness of global politics is growing, Strub continued. Last year, 400 people took part in the protest walk. This year there were around 200 more people. On Sunday, the demonstrators will reach the WEF venue in Davos, where the protest march will lead into the authorized Juso demonstration in the afternoon.
