SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Protesters rally and march in Zürich on January 19, 2026 ahead of US President Donald Trump's arrival for the World Economic Forum in Davos.
(Photo by Sozialismus.ch)
Swiss Protesters Brave Water Cannon to Say 'Trump Is Still Not Welcome' as Davos Begins
"When fascists, oligarchs, and warmongers gather in Davos, it is our duty to take to the streets," said the rally's main organizer.
Jan 20, 2026
Demonstrators in Zürich were blasted with a water cannon in subfreezing weather on Monday as they protested the pending arrival of US President Donald Trump, traveling to Switzerland this week to attend the annual World Economic Forum's gathering of global elites in Davos.
Chants of "Fuck Trump!" echoed through the streets of Zürich as thousands of demonstrators, some holding placards with messages like "Put Trumpster in the Dumpster" and "Trump Not Welcome," marched through Switzerland's largest city Monday night.
Participants protested the interconnected crises of capitalism, the worsening climate emergency, US imperialism, and the Trump administration's deadly anti-immigrant purge. They also condemned Iran's slaughter of protesters, the ongoing Gaza genocide, and attacks on Kurds in Syria. According to the Movement for Socialism (BFS)—the rally's main organizer—the Zürich protest was the largest of its kind since 2018, when Trump first attended the summit during his first term.
"In the tow of Donald Trump, a horror cabinet of warmongers, autocrats and corporate bosses will be in Davos," BFS said ahead of Monday's rally. "It is our political and moral obligation to resist the world of Trump and consorts."
[Zürich] Tausende Menschen lautstark und kämpfertisch auf der Strasse gegen Trump und das WEF! Gegen die Welt der Imperialismen!#TrumpStillNotWelcome #Antifa #smashWEF #FckTrump
[image or embed]
— sozialismus.ch (@sozialismus.ch) January 19, 2026 at 12:44 PM
Some demonstrators burned American flags to protest Trump's ongoing war-making and imperialist foreign policy, including the bombing of numerous nations, the recent unlawful military assault on Venezuela, and the illegal kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. There was particular ire over Trump's incessant threats to acquire the autonomous Danish territory of Greenland by any means necessary, including armed invasion.
According to police, some demonstrators set off firecrackers and smoke bombs along the march, while some protesters vandalized businesses and other property. Some people who took part in an "unauthorized" protest after the main march ended were blasted with a police water cannon, despite an air temperature of approximately 30°F (-1°C). People waving flags and symbols of Kurdish independence in Rojava were seen defiantly advancing as they were hosed down.
Police then fired rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas at protesters after some of demonstrators allegedly pelted officers with objects including stones and fireworks.
The Swiss news site 20 Minuten reported dozens of people injured, including three police officers.
Hundreds of protesters also rallied in Davos, where they chanted slogans including, "The oceans are rising and so are we!" and held placards with messages like, "No War Profiteering!"
Bus stop ads with a photo of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg with the caption, "Hey Davos Billionaires: Shut Up and Pay Your Tax" were seen around Davos and Zürich.
The same images and message were printed on a massive banner that was laid out in a field near Zürich's airport for arriving WEF attendees to see.
Dieses riesige Protest-Banner wurde heute im Anflugbereich des Flughafens Zürich ausgerollt, wo die #WEF Teilnehmer landen: «Hallo Davos-Milliardäre [[ Ihr seid das Problem ]] Haltet einfach die Klappe und zahlt eure Steuern!»@weforum.org
[image or embed]
— Jürg Vollmer (@juergvollmer.ch) January 20, 2026 at 1:56 AM
There were no reports of any violence at the Davos demonstration.
Ahead of Monday's protests, BFS asserted that Trump stands for oligarchy, patriarchy, fossil fuels, rising fascism, war, and imperialism.
Trump "represents a world in which the right of the fittest applies, in which genocides, wars of aggression, war crimes, regime-change operations, and economic blackmail constitute the means of international policy to maintain and expand imperialist systems of power and exploitation," the organization said.
"The WEF has always stood for the same world," it continued. "It is the world of capitalism [and] the increasingly right-wing authoritarian and violent character of this world, as it crystallizes in figures such as Trump."
"But there is also another world," BFS added. "It is worth fighting for this world. Let us organize ourselves together with all anti-fascist forces against the world of Trump and consorts!"
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Demonstrators in Zürich were blasted with a water cannon in subfreezing weather on Monday as they protested the pending arrival of US President Donald Trump, traveling to Switzerland this week to attend the annual World Economic Forum's gathering of global elites in Davos.
Chants of "Fuck Trump!" echoed through the streets of Zürich as thousands of demonstrators, some holding placards with messages like "Put Trumpster in the Dumpster" and "Trump Not Welcome," marched through Switzerland's largest city Monday night.
Participants protested the interconnected crises of capitalism, the worsening climate emergency, US imperialism, and the Trump administration's deadly anti-immigrant purge. They also condemned Iran's slaughter of protesters, the ongoing Gaza genocide, and attacks on Kurds in Syria. According to the Movement for Socialism (BFS)—the rally's main organizer—the Zürich protest was the largest of its kind since 2018, when Trump first attended the summit during his first term.
"In the tow of Donald Trump, a horror cabinet of warmongers, autocrats and corporate bosses will be in Davos," BFS said ahead of Monday's rally. "It is our political and moral obligation to resist the world of Trump and consorts."
[Zürich] Tausende Menschen lautstark und kämpfertisch auf der Strasse gegen Trump und das WEF! Gegen die Welt der Imperialismen!#TrumpStillNotWelcome #Antifa #smashWEF #FckTrump
[image or embed]
— sozialismus.ch (@sozialismus.ch) January 19, 2026 at 12:44 PM
Some demonstrators burned American flags to protest Trump's ongoing war-making and imperialist foreign policy, including the bombing of numerous nations, the recent unlawful military assault on Venezuela, and the illegal kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. There was particular ire over Trump's incessant threats to acquire the autonomous Danish territory of Greenland by any means necessary, including armed invasion.
According to police, some demonstrators set off firecrackers and smoke bombs along the march, while some protesters vandalized businesses and other property. Some people who took part in an "unauthorized" protest after the main march ended were blasted with a police water cannon, despite an air temperature of approximately 30°F (-1°C). People waving flags and symbols of Kurdish independence in Rojava were seen defiantly advancing as they were hosed down.
Police then fired rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas at protesters after some of demonstrators allegedly pelted officers with objects including stones and fireworks.
The Swiss news site 20 Minuten reported dozens of people injured, including three police officers.
Hundreds of protesters also rallied in Davos, where they chanted slogans including, "The oceans are rising and so are we!" and held placards with messages like, "No War Profiteering!"
Bus stop ads with a photo of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg with the caption, "Hey Davos Billionaires: Shut Up and Pay Your Tax" were seen around Davos and Zürich.
The same images and message were printed on a massive banner that was laid out in a field near Zürich's airport for arriving WEF attendees to see.
Dieses riesige Protest-Banner wurde heute im Anflugbereich des Flughafens Zürich ausgerollt, wo die #WEF Teilnehmer landen: «Hallo Davos-Milliardäre [[ Ihr seid das Problem ]] Haltet einfach die Klappe und zahlt eure Steuern!»@weforum.org
[image or embed]
— Jürg Vollmer (@juergvollmer.ch) January 20, 2026 at 1:56 AM
There were no reports of any violence at the Davos demonstration.
Ahead of Monday's protests, BFS asserted that Trump stands for oligarchy, patriarchy, fossil fuels, rising fascism, war, and imperialism.
Trump "represents a world in which the right of the fittest applies, in which genocides, wars of aggression, war crimes, regime-change operations, and economic blackmail constitute the means of international policy to maintain and expand imperialist systems of power and exploitation," the organization said.
"The WEF has always stood for the same world," it continued. "It is the world of capitalism [and] the increasingly right-wing authoritarian and violent character of this world, as it crystallizes in figures such as Trump."
"But there is also another world," BFS added. "It is worth fighting for this world. Let us organize ourselves together with all anti-fascist forces against the world of Trump and consorts!"
Demonstrators in Zürich were blasted with a water cannon in subfreezing weather on Monday as they protested the pending arrival of US President Donald Trump, traveling to Switzerland this week to attend the annual World Economic Forum's gathering of global elites in Davos.
Chants of "Fuck Trump!" echoed through the streets of Zürich as thousands of demonstrators, some holding placards with messages like "Put Trumpster in the Dumpster" and "Trump Not Welcome," marched through Switzerland's largest city Monday night.
Participants protested the interconnected crises of capitalism, the worsening climate emergency, US imperialism, and the Trump administration's deadly anti-immigrant purge. They also condemned Iran's slaughter of protesters, the ongoing Gaza genocide, and attacks on Kurds in Syria. According to the Movement for Socialism (BFS)—the rally's main organizer—the Zürich protest was the largest of its kind since 2018, when Trump first attended the summit during his first term.
"In the tow of Donald Trump, a horror cabinet of warmongers, autocrats and corporate bosses will be in Davos," BFS said ahead of Monday's rally. "It is our political and moral obligation to resist the world of Trump and consorts."
[Zürich] Tausende Menschen lautstark und kämpfertisch auf der Strasse gegen Trump und das WEF! Gegen die Welt der Imperialismen!#TrumpStillNotWelcome #Antifa #smashWEF #FckTrump
[image or embed]
— sozialismus.ch (@sozialismus.ch) January 19, 2026 at 12:44 PM
Some demonstrators burned American flags to protest Trump's ongoing war-making and imperialist foreign policy, including the bombing of numerous nations, the recent unlawful military assault on Venezuela, and the illegal kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. There was particular ire over Trump's incessant threats to acquire the autonomous Danish territory of Greenland by any means necessary, including armed invasion.
According to police, some demonstrators set off firecrackers and smoke bombs along the march, while some protesters vandalized businesses and other property. Some people who took part in an "unauthorized" protest after the main march ended were blasted with a police water cannon, despite an air temperature of approximately 30°F (-1°C). People waving flags and symbols of Kurdish independence in Rojava were seen defiantly advancing as they were hosed down.
Police then fired rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas at protesters after some of demonstrators allegedly pelted officers with objects including stones and fireworks.
The Swiss news site 20 Minuten reported dozens of people injured, including three police officers.
Hundreds of protesters also rallied in Davos, where they chanted slogans including, "The oceans are rising and so are we!" and held placards with messages like, "No War Profiteering!"
Bus stop ads with a photo of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg with the caption, "Hey Davos Billionaires: Shut Up and Pay Your Tax" were seen around Davos and Zürich.
The same images and message were printed on a massive banner that was laid out in a field near Zürich's airport for arriving WEF attendees to see.
Dieses riesige Protest-Banner wurde heute im Anflugbereich des Flughafens Zürich ausgerollt, wo die #WEF Teilnehmer landen: «Hallo Davos-Milliardäre [[ Ihr seid das Problem ]] Haltet einfach die Klappe und zahlt eure Steuern!»@weforum.org
[image or embed]
— Jürg Vollmer (@juergvollmer.ch) January 20, 2026 at 1:56 AM
There were no reports of any violence at the Davos demonstration.
Ahead of Monday's protests, BFS asserted that Trump stands for oligarchy, patriarchy, fossil fuels, rising fascism, war, and imperialism.
Trump "represents a world in which the right of the fittest applies, in which genocides, wars of aggression, war crimes, regime-change operations, and economic blackmail constitute the means of international policy to maintain and expand imperialist systems of power and exploitation," the organization said.
"The WEF has always stood for the same world," it continued. "It is the world of capitalism [and] the increasingly right-wing authoritarian and violent character of this world, as it crystallizes in figures such as Trump."
"But there is also another world," BFS added. "It is worth fighting for this world. Let us organize ourselves together with all anti-fascist forces against the world of Trump and consorts!"
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.