It was a cold and cloudy afternoon in Geneva when people began assembling on the Rue du Mont Blanc not far from the central train station. Despite a decree issued by the city council a week beforehand banning the protest, between 1000 and 2000 activists showed up nevertheless to express their opposition to the 2009 World Economic Forum, symbol of capitalism and corporate globalization, currently being held in the ski resort town of Davos. Fearing a renewal of the riots and sabotage that had afflicted the city’s commercial district during the 2003 protests against the G8, the Geneva general council, in addition to declaring the protest illegal, had also called in a massive number of police officers, including agents from neighboring France and Germany, to monitor the city centre and train station as well as incoming trains.
