"It was already getting a bit rough" Police arrest 30 people at anti-WEF demonstration

SDA

19.1.2025 - 22:58

Shortly after hundreds of WEF critics blocked the cantonal road outside Laret on Sunday, another 30 people broke away and sat down on the road for a second time. The police had to forcibly carry them away and report them to the police.
Shortly after hundreds of WEF critics blocked the cantonal road outside Laret on Sunday, another 30 people broke away and sat down on the road for a second time. The police had to forcibly carry them away and report them to the police.
Bild: Keystone

The police arrested around 30 people during the protest march at the WEF. They had broken away from the protest march and sat down on the cantonal road near Oberlaret outside Davos GR. According to the police, they were forcibly carried away and will be reported to the police.

Keystone-SDA

No time? blue News summarizes for you

  • The police arrested around 30 people during the protest hike at the WEF.
  • After their arrest, they were taken to the police station in buses and interrogated.
  • They now have to answer to the public prosecutor's office in Graubünden for various offenses, but have been released.

Things had already become a little rougher, a spokeswoman for the Graubünden cantonal police told the Keystone-SDA news agency on Sunday evening.

The 30 people had broken away from the protest march to the World Economic Forum (WEF) shortly after it had blocked the road a little further down near Davos Laret. They had run through the deep snow further up and sat down on the road, the spokeswoman continued.

They were then carried away from the road and placed in a waiting position at the side of the road. Some of them were also secured in this position with straps. They were then taken to the police station in buses and questioned. They have to answer to the Graubünden public prosecutor's office for various offenses, but have been released. After the interrogation, they were taken home, some of them to Germany.

They now have to answer to the public prosecutor's office in Graubünden for various offenses, but have been released. They were taken home after interrogation, some of them as far as Germany.

Barred vehicles against blockade

Meanwhile, the road blockade of the main demonstration march at Davos Laret caused a "mega traffic jam". Critics of capitalism built snowmen along the cantonal road, bringing traffic to a standstill. The cars were jammed from Davos Laret down to the Vereina car transport station junction. On the other side, the vehicles were stuck as far as the middle of Lake Davos.

After the strikers failed to clear the road even after several announcements by the police, the authorities intervened with special barred vehicles. Finally, the demonstrators moved on to Davos, where they joined the rally of the Young Socialists (Juso).

"Attack attack attack, the WEF is shit"

The Young Socialists called for an end to the forum with their chants of "Attack attack attack, the WEF sucks". 2025 is the time of monsters, said one activist, referring to the new US government. A demonstrator dressed as Donald Trump wanted to draw attention to the upcoming event with satire. "It's not the rich who will save us," the protest continued.

The WEF has not yet produced any solutions to the world's problems, complained Juso President Mirjam Hostetmann in an interview with Keystone-SDA. In her opinion, one solution would be the Juso inheritance tax initiative, which calls for a 50 percent tax on estates and gifts of more than CHF 50 million.

The rich and powerful of this world are fueling the climate crisis, wars and injustice through their greed for profit, according to a Juso press release. The initiative aims to make them pay for their climate crimes.

The German-Austrian social activist Marlene Engelhorn was also a guest. She wants to distribute around 25 million euros from her inherited fortune to the general public. She has long campaigned for the reintroduction of wealth and inheritance taxes in Austria.

Understanding from co-organizer

This is a different form of activism, said a co-organizer of the protest hike when asked by Keystone-SDA. There was understanding for this. However, the main group had stuck to the original plan and continued on to the Juso rally on the Postplatz in Davos.

It was still unclear on Sunday evening whether this action would have an impact on future anti-WEF demonstrations. According to the co-organizer, however, this action should not result in sanctions against the entire protest march. The visibility of the demonstration must remain guaranteed.

Only recently, the organizing Strike WEF collective successfully defended itself in federal court for a more visible demonstration route after the demonstrators were banned from the hiking trails by the authorities.