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.
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.
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!"
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This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
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!"