Protests erupt in Switzerland ahead of Trump’s Davos trip

by Brandon Carter - 01/23/18 7:25 PM ET

Protesters took to the streets in two Swiss cities on Tuesday ahead of President Trump’s visit to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.

Reuters reports nearly 20 anti-capitalist protesters broke through a security barrier in Davos while shouting “Wipe out WEF.” The protesters rallied around slogans such as “Trump Not Welcome” and “Smash WEF!”

“Trump is just one of the other people we disagree with. We’ve been protesting every year now against the World Economic Forum and if Trump comes or not we don’t care,” one protester told Reuters. “Trump is just, maybe he’s just the best symbol of this world.”

{mosads}In Zurich, 2,000 protesters marched toward the city’s financial district, carrying banners reading “No Trump, no coal, no gas, no fossil fuels” and “Dump Trump.”

Reuters reports at least one person carried a sign reading “who was the shithole?” in reference to Trump’s reported remarks about Haiti, El Salvador and African nations.

Trump is expected to give remarks Friday at the meeting of business leaders and global elites, becoming the first president to personally attend the WEF since Bill Clinton in 2000. Typically, U.S. presidents send high-level delegations to the event.

Trump will attend the WEF with a delegation made up of a large chunk of his Cabinet, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said Tuesday that Trump will present an “America First” agenda at the forum.