Swiss Identity

Parliamentarians slam Swiss security at Davos

This content was published on Jan 28, 2001 “Newspapers around the world have shown images portraying a Switzerland that is barricaded, closed and brutal,” Pierre-Yves Maillard told delegates at the World Social Forum in Porto Allegre in Brazil, an alternative summit to Davos. Maillard, a Social Democrat member of parliament, said that the Swiss contingent “condemned the police brutality.” Earlier, Maillard told swissinfo…

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Davos security and violent protests spark controversy

This content was published on Jan 28, 2001 The Swiss president, Moritz Leuenberger, condemned the violence at a news conference in Davos on Sunday. Leuenberger said the violence which erupted in Zurich late on Saturday, when anti-globalisation protestors went on the rampage and clashed with police, showed that that security operation in Davos was justified. The economics minister, Pascal Couchepin, also condemned the…

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Cuche third in German world cup super-G

This content was published on Jan 28, 2001 Austrians once again took the top two places on the podium. Christoph Gruber came first while Hermann Maier came second. The weekend’s races at the resort of Garmisch have been regarded as important preparation for the World Championships due to get underway shortly in the Austrian resort of St Anton. On Saturday, Switzerland’s Franco Cavegn,…

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Violence breaks out in Swiss cities after Davos protest

This content was published on Jan 27, 2001 Protests were held in Zurich, Geneva and Bern, following the demonstration in Davos earlier in the day. The worst violence was reported in Zurich where police used tear gas and rubber bullets against dozens of demonstrators who went on the rampage in the city. Police said the protestors, arriving back from the Davos area by…

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Cavegn third in German world cup downhill

This content was published on Jan 27, 2001 Austria’s Fritz Strobl won the race which is seen as crucial preparation before the World Championships begin in St Anton this Sunday. It was Strobl’s first World Cup victory of the season. Strobl profited from a high-speed crash by the World Cup leader, Austria’s Hermann Maier. Maier escaped uninjured, but threw his ski into the…

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NGOs threaten Forum withdrawal

This content was published on Jan 27, 2001 The security operation in Davos is the tightest mounted by Swiss police in decades. This has clearly angered many of the NGO representatives present who issued a statement on Saturday afternoon calling on the Forum’s sponsors to support free expression and peaceful assembly. Vandana Shiva, one conference delegate, accused the police of being “brutes”. She…

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Swiss aiming high at skiing world championships

This content was published on Jan 27, 2001 Even when one takes Switzerland’s improved performances in this season’s World Cup events into account, the target of the Swiss Ski Association appears to be ambitious. At the last world championships in Vail, the country won just two medals, and both of them were bronze. But Dieter Bartsch, the head coach of the Swiss men’s…

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More grand slam grief for Hingis

This content was published on Jan 27, 2001 Hingis was beaten in straight sets (4-6, 3-6) by American 12th seed Jennifer Capriati. The defeat means Hingis has now gone more than two years without winning a grand slam event. The Swiss player went into the showdown with Capriati as the clear favourite. As well as holding a 5-0 lead from their previous meetings,…

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Burglar betrayed by mobile phone.

This content was published on Jan 26, 2001 An off-duty policeman had rushed to the area after hearing on the police radio that a break-in had taken place close by. But he didn’t have far to look. The ringing handset led him straight to the criminal, who had taken refuge in a bush after a first attempt to escape from the area failed.…

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Leuenberger welcomes WEF critics to Davos

This content was published on Jan 26, 2001 Twenty-four hours after speaking out against the inequalities and injustices caused by globalisation, Leuenberger on Friday attended a meeting of the Public Eye On Davos, an organisation fiercely critical of the Forum. Leuenberger said he wanted to welcome the Public Eye campaigners to Davos in the same spirit that he had on Thursday welcomed the…

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