SWITZERLAND: TIGHT SECURITY PRECAUTIONS AS DELEGATES ARRIVE FOR WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM SUMMIT IN DAVOS

Record ID: 646724

  • Title: SWITZERLAND: TIGHT SECURITY PRECAUTIONS AS DELEGATES ARRIVE FOR WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM SUMMIT IN DAVOS
  • Date: 25th January 2001
  • Summary: DAVOS, SWITZERLAND (JANUARY 25, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV OF DAVOS 0.05 2. MV: POLICE ON ROOF LOOKING THROUGH BINOCULARS 0.10 3. VARIOUS OF BARBED WIRE AROUND VENUE AND WEF DELEGATES ARRIVING (4 SHOTS) 0.33 4. SV'S: DELEGATES BEING CHECKED BY SECURITY (3 SHOTS) 0.51 5. VARIOUS OF MEDIA ARRIVING/SECURITY (4 SHOTS) 1.11 6. PAN: INTERIOR CONGRESS HALL 1.17 7. VARIOUS OF DELEGATES SEATED IN LOUNGE (4 SHOTS) 1.33 8. ZOOM IN: HELICOPTERS FLYING OVER THE CONGRESS 1.42 9. VARIOUS OF DAVOS SHOPOWNERS BOARDING UP THEIR SHOPS IN ANTICIPATION OF TROUBLE (4 SHOTS) 2.06 10. SV: BOARDED UP SHOPFRONTS 2.11 11. VARIOUS: HELIPAD: HELICOPTERS ARRIVING WITH DELEGATES (4 SHOTS) 2.31 12. LV: EXTERIOR HOTEL SHERATON SEEHOF WHERE DELEGATES STAYING 2.35 13. MV: SHERATON GENERAL MANAGER MICHAEL HOFERER WITH SECURITY 2.40 14. SV: SECURITY OUTSIDE BUILDING 2.43 15. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) HOFERER TALKING SECURITY AND SAYING "I think its the preparations from the police and ourselves is so good we are not worried about the hotel, and I hope it will not be as strong as TV and journalists have written." 3.02 16. PAN: EXTERIOR OF NGOs MEETING ON PARALLEL DISCUSSION: BANNERS READING 'HUMAN RIGHTS/ DEMOCRACY' AND VARIOUS ANTI-WEF BANNERS WITH SAXOPHONE PLAYER PLAYING AND CLINIC WHERE DISCUSSION WILL TAKE PLACE (2 SHOTS) 3.20 17. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) DOCTOR PETER BOSSHARD, MEMBER OF THE BERNE DECLARATION AND REPRESENTATIVES OF 'EYE AND DAVOS', AN ANTI WEF NGO ORGANISATION SAYING: (referring to pressure and demonstrations at Davos last year) "I think pressure has even increased from last year they (WEF) feel under a lot pressure to legitimise themselves, to justify what they are doing. I think we can put the public spotlight on events like Davos and really stop the kind of deals and decision making process behind closed doors." 3.42 18. PAN UP/PAN ALONG: SAXOPHONE PLAYER/ FLAGS BANNERS (2 SHOTS) 4.02 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 9th February 2001 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: DAVOS, SWITZERLAND
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Reuters ID: LVA9EF4S27SPSYPLXGXV5WJT7XHI
  • Story Text: Hundreds of Swiss police, specialist troops and coils
    of barbed wire have greeted the world's corporate and
    political elite arriving for the annual Davos business summit.


    The police were not taking any chances and security
    throughout the city was very tight with barbed wire erected
    around the World Economic Forum (WEF) venue.

    Swiss Television estimated that between 1,000 and 2,000
    police from across Switzerland were on hand to choke off the
    kind of anti-globalisation protests that hit the European
    Union summit in Nice, International Monetary Fund/World Bank
    meetings in Prague and Davos itself last year.

    Swiss police, mounting the strictest clampdown Switzerland
    has seen in decades, said they were considering spraying
    liquid manure at anti-globalisation demonstrators if they defy
    a ban on a planned demonstration against the forum on
    Saturday.

    Dozens of heads of state and hundreds of senior corporate
    executives are among 3,200 participants at this year's summit
    in the chic ski spot that has become a magnet for movers and
    shakers from business and politics.

    But environmentalists and opponents of free trade say the
    forum takes far-reaching decisions behind closed doors and
    enhances the power of multinational corporations.

    Shopowners in Davos have boarded up their shops in
    anticipation of violent demonstrations against the WEF but
    security officials said they were well prepared and had
    nothing to be concerned about.

    The manager of the plush hotel where most of the delegates
    are staying was confident police would effectively crush any
    violence and said none of the US delegates had followed advice
    from their government that they should not travel to Davos for
    security reasons.

    Sheraton Hotel General manager Michael Hoferer said, "I
    think the preparations from the police and ourselves are so
    good we are not worried about the hotel."
    Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), opposed to the WEF
    talking behind closed doors, are holding their own parallel
    debates at an alternative venue.

    One NGO delegate, Dr Peter Bosshard said he did not
    believe the WEF would hold any such talks in the future.

    "I think pressure has even increased from last year they
    (WEF) feel under a lot pressure to legitimise themselves, to
    justify what they are doing. I think we can put the public
    spotlight on events like Davos and really stop the kind of
    deals and decision making process behind closed doors," he
    said.

    The World Economic Forum (WEF), now in its 31st year, which
    runs until January 30.
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