As US President Donald Trump prepares to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, he faces growing opposition and protests across Europe. Demonstrators in Zurich have burned American flags, sending a clear message that “Trump is not welcome.”
The protests come amid rising tensions over Trump’s threats to take over Greenland, which belongs to Denmark. Thousands have gathered in Greenland’s capital Nuuk, as well as in cities across Denmark, to voice their opposition to the US president’s rhetoric.
In Zurich, clashes broke out between protesters and police, with reports of shattered windows and damaged property. Officers used water cannons, chemical irritants, and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds. Activists from the Swiss NGO Campax also projected a cartoon image of Trump onto a ski slope, accompanied by the words “Spirit of plutocracy.”
Elsewhere, California Governor Gavin Newsom, a potential presidential contender, has criticized European and American leaders for their “pathetic” response to Trump’s actions. Newsom likened the US president to a “T-rex,” saying that world leaders must “stand tall, stand firm, stand united” against him.
The Davos summit is expected to be dominated by trade tensions, with Trump threatening to impose tariffs on countries trading with Greenland. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, has emphasized Europe’s capabilities to police the Arctic and criticized Trump’s tariff threats.
As Trump prepares to deliver a speech at the forum on Wednesday, the widespread backlash he faces in Europe underscores the growing global opposition to his policies and rhetoric.
