Riot police fire tear gas at Davos protesters

Riot police fired tear gas at bottle-throwing demonstrators in Geneva today protesting against the annual World Economic Forum meeting in the Swiss Alps.

A reporter at the scene said the protest was largely peaceful until police blocked the protesters from walking to the centre of the city.

Some in the crowd of about 1,000 people then threw bottles, prompting police to respond with tear gas.

Geneva authorities had denied the anti-capitalist crowd a permit to hold their demonstration today.

Police were attempting to corral protesters into a tight area near Geneva’s train station.

The forum, an annual gathering of the world’s business and political elite, is taking place on the other side of Switzerland in the elegant ski resort of Davos.