Wednesday January 28th, 2009 / 15h24

DAVIS, Switzerland (AFP)--About 100 pro-Tibet activists staged a
demonstration in Davos Wednesday to protest against the presence of
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at the World Economic Forum.

The protest was allowed at a railway station about one kilometer from
the conference center where the annual forum of political and business
leaders is held.

There was a heavy police presence around the demonstrators, followers of
the four main pro-Tibetan groups in Switzerland, who carried banners
saying "Change in Tibet - Wen?"

The Chinese prime minister, who is on a tour of Europe, was to give a
speech at the forum Wednesday.

China is particularly sensitive about Tibet ahead of the 50th
anniversary of the March 1959 uprising that led to the escape of Tibet's
spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, into exile.

After violence at rallies in previous years, demonstrations are now
strictly controlled at the annual Davis meetings where about 5,000
police are on duty protecting the 2,500 conference participants.