15:11 THURSDAY JANUARY 25 2001

Protesters banned from Davos summit

Authorities have banned anti-globalisation demonstrators in the ski resort of Davos during the six days of the World Economic Forum, which opens today.

Thousands of politicians, business people and cultural leaders were expected to discuss the impact of a projected slowdown in the US economy, new ways for companies to do business and the changing face of the Internet at the conference in Switzerland.

But protesters vowed to continue their campaign by using the Internet to give the latest information on police roadblocks and encourage fellow activists not to get discouraged.

Protesters claim the programme at Davos is elitist and promotes policies that make rich countries and corporations richer but harm poorer countries and the environment.

They have appealed to Switzerland's highest court against the ban on demonstrations, but say they will demonstrate even if the ban is upheld.

The forum, whose motto is "committed to improving the state of the world", will be looking at how to ensure that parts of the world are not left behind in the technology boom. The summit will also examine the future of e-commerce following the collapse of several major dot-com companies.

Last year about 1,000 demonstrators made it to Davos and two police officers were injured when protests turned violent and rioters damaged a McDonald's restaurant.

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