Swiss police clear hundreds of anti-Davos protesters

DAVOS, Switzerland: Some 300 people including two millionaires protested in Davos on Sunday ahead of next week´s gathering of the global elite at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the Swiss Alps.

Demonstrators carried placards with slogans such as “Tax the rich”, “Shut up! Pay taxes” and “Smash colonial capitalism”, blocking the road to the glitzy mountain resort.

Police moved in after the demonstrators ignored two calls for them to leave, a spokeswoman for the Graubunden cantonal police told the Keystone-ATS news agency.

With the blockade causing a major traffic jam, the authorities deployed a specialised vehicle to clear the highway ahead of the WEF´s Monday start.

Among those attending the protest was Austrian-German heiress Marlene Engelhorn, who gave away the bulk of her multi-million-euro inheritance to dozens of organisations working on social issues.