SWITZERLAND: HIGH SECURITY ARE IN PLACE AHEAD OF THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM IN DAVOS
Record ID:
647338
SWITZERLAND: HIGH SECURITY ARE IN PLACE AHEAD OF THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM IN DAVOS
- Title: SWITZERLAND: HIGH SECURITY ARE IN PLACE AHEAD OF THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM IN DAVOS
- Date: 22nd January 2003
- Summary: (W4) DAVOS, SWITZERLAND (JANUARY 22, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV EXTERIOR OF THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM (WEF) 0.05 2. SV FLAGS 0.09 3. LV POLICE CHECKPOINT IN THE STREETS OF DAVOS 0.14 4. LV/SLV POLICE FIXING THE CHECKPOINTS (2 SHOTS) 0.16 5. LV ARMY CAR CARRYING BARRIERS 0.27 6. SLV ARMY SOLDIERS FIXING BARRIERS (2 SHOTS) 0.36 7. SV SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SWISS ARMY IN DAVOS DANIEL RIEST SPEAKING TO JOURNALIST 0.39 8. MCU (French) DANIEL RIEST, SWISS ARMY SPOKESPERSON IN DAVOS, SAYING: "The only thing that has changed since the last time the World Economic Forum was in Davos is that we are setting a no-fly zone over the resort, this is the first time it's happened in Switzerland. The Defence minister will have the right to shoot down any plane non-authorized. The other measure is that we have specialists from the Spiez laboratory, that is, specialists in biological and chemical weapons." 1.07 9. LV ARMY HELICOPTERS FLYING OVER DAVOS 1.14 10. SLV/SV SOLDIERS FIXING BARRIERS (3 SHOTS) 1.46 11. LV CHILDREN SEEN SKATING THROUGH A FENCE 1.52 12. SLV ANDRE SCHEIDER WALKING ALONG STREET, TALKING ON MOBILE 1.57 13. MCU (English) ANDRE SCHNEIDER, WEF ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR, SAYING: "No at the moment there are absolutely no indications for terrorist threat. The reason for these blockades is because there will be an organized demonstration and it is not clear weather the organizers are ready to put everything in place to make it not violence, but in the end we are convinced that there will be a non violent demonstration." 2.22 14. CU OF POLICE BADGE ON UNIFORM 2.26 15. SLV OF SECURITY AROUND DAVOS 2.32 16. GV OF MOUNTAINS 2.36 17. SLV/LV SECURITY AROUND DAVOS (2 SHOTS) 2.48 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 6th February 2003 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: DAVOS, SWITZERLAND
- Country: Switzerland
- Reuters ID: LVA5ZG4N7DOTYEI9YHJEEZK95VMK
- Story Text: Major security measures have been deployed as the World
Economic Forum annual meeting of the world's business and
political elite starts on January 23 in the chic mountain-top
resort of Davos, Switzerland.
High security measures are in place ahead of the World
Economic Forum on Thursday (January 23).
Under the theme of "Building Trust", the annual meeting
from January 23 to 28 will gather the world's business and
political elite in the chic Swiss mountain-top resort of
Davos, Switzerland.
And the Swiss government is deploying all its means to
protect delegates. It will spend some 10 million U.S. dollars
and is sending in the army to reinforce the policemen coming
from the canton of Grison but also from Zurich, Basel, Geneva
and the Tessin, the Swiss-Italian part.
Unauthorised planes that enter a no-fly zone over the ski
resort risk being shot down. Should any aircraft ignore
warnings to turn back, and pose a threat to the high-profile
meeting, Defence Minister Samuel Schmid could give the air
force a green light to open fire.
"The other measure is that we have ... specialists in
biological and chemical weapons," said Swiss army spokesperson
Daniel Riest.
The step comes amid heightened awareness of attacks from
the sky after the September 11 kamikaze airline attacks on New
York and Washington. Specialists from the Laboratory of Spiez,
a centre for the protection against nuclear, biological and
chemical weapons, will also be in the resort.
Helicopters are expected to whisk VIPs into and out of
Davos during the event.
But while the army stands ready to act, Swiss authorities
said there are no signs of serious threat being posed to the
WEF, which routinely draws anti-globalisation protests.
Unlike the last meeting in Davos in 2001 - the event moved
to New York last year to show solidarity with America's
financial capital in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks
- the authorities will allow an anti-WEF demonstration this
year.
More than 1,000 corporate chiefs, 250 political leaders,
200 media executives and 200 prominent activists for social
change are to attend the 33rd WEF meeting.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, U.S. Attorney
General John Ashcroft and and Brazil's new President Luiz
Inacio Lula da Silva, who will be making his first European
appearance since sweeping to victory in elections last
October, are among the prominent guests.
North Korea, which has sparked an international outcry by
resuming its nuclear programme and pulling out of the
Non-proliferation Treaty, has also been invited to send a
high-level delegation, but so far there has no response.
Davos has been playing host to the World Economic Forum
annual meeting since 1971.
awa/us
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