Representatives of different organizations will be contributing presentations on global governance, international trade policies, international financial relations and corporate control. Despite the specificity of its name, the group says it is opposed to any organization that favors globalization. Our medium-term objective, proclaims the group s Web site, is to prevent the WEF meeting, which we consider to be an arrogant and paternalistic event, from taking place. Though the group may be hoping to emulate the success of the protesters who caused the collapse of the WTO meeting in Seattle, it is facing a number of constraints. Davos lies in a remote valley, flanked on two sides by mountains and glaciers 9,000 feet high.
Access is difficult, the cold weather is daunting, and getting a place to stay is almost impossible.
More importantly, protesters in the past have had to deal with heavy policing in the form of security roadblocks at either side of the valley and riot police ferried in from all over Switzerland with a large crowd-control arsenal including water cannon and tear gas. An estimated 1,000 protesters gathered in the streets of Davos last year and one Anti WTO organizer said. We are definitely expecting more people than last year, said an Anti-WTO organizer. Groups from a variety of European countries are involved and they have announced that they will bring busloads of demonstrators. Police presence can be expected to increase accordingly, but protesters say they are determined to make their voices heard.