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Blockades and demonstrations accompany start of WEF in Davos, Switzerland

imc translations / Mafalda blockade network | 21.01.2004 20:56

Today several direct actions to protest against the WEF took place around Zürich.
At 11:30 a group blocked the bridge (Hardbrücke) in Zürich using building materials and causing a considerable traffic jam that hampered the way through the town for the arriving WEF members.
At 12:30 about 50 people protested loudly in front of the WEF-desk inside the airport Zürich-Kloten and kept WEF memebers for half an hour from finding their way to the desk.
Starting from 13:30 500 people of the Mafalda blockade network blocked the access to the motorway near airport Zürich-Kloten. The traffic running from the airport stopped totally for more than an hour. The police was present with large forces and pulled the demonstrators from the street. Most of them were released closeby and many were able to rejoin the blockades immediately thereafter. Only sporadic arrests were made.
After 15:00 the blockaders retreated and returned to Zürich.
Since 14:45 a demonstration and several symbolic blockades of bureaus of WEF-members were carried out in Zürich.
Around 15:50 some 15 cyclists blocked a WEF shuttle near Fideris.


















With these actions of civil disobedience the Mafalda blockade network expresses its rejection of the WEF as a symbol of economic globalisation. We see the blockades of WEF participants during their arrival to Davos as an appropriate political answer to the "playground of Arbenz" 1) as well as to the militarisation of the whole WEF. We see ourselves as part of the worldwide movement against globalisation and war and will keep taking to the streets during the next days, to protest against the WEF, amongst other places in Chur and Davos, the Saturday to come.

Against the economic globalisation for the profit of transnational coorporations! For social justice worldwide!

Press declaration of the Mafalda blockade network, 21st Jan. 2004
 http://switzerland.indymedia.org/de/2004/01/17606.shtml

1) The "Arbenz Report" (2001) of the swiss government drafted an integration and seggregation strategy for the purpose of more control of WEF - protests (integration of peaceful and collaborative critics of the WEF while forecefully repressing those activist and organiations who don't want to be integrated or don't show obedience in advance)

imc translations / Mafalda blockade network
- Homepage: http:// http://www.blockadenetz.ch

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