Is Switzerland sending 5,000 soldiers to the WEF in Davos?
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has become a popular target for conspiracy theorists who believe the group is part of a shady global cabal of puppet masters.
Founded in 1971 by Klaus Schwab, the WEF has been associated in various (and misleading) ways with claims that it has a “New One World Religion”that it promoted child abuse and that it called for an end to private car ownership.
This week, as the group prepares to host its annual conference in the Swiss city of Davos, social media suggested that an infantry of soldiers should be flown in to oversee the proceedings.
The claim
a tweet, Posted by the Wall Street Silver account on January 12, 2022 and viewed more than two million times and received 27,000 engagements, it reads: “5,000 troops to protect WEF in Davos. Do you expect trouble?”
The tweet included a screenshot of an article titled “Switzerland to Deploy 5,000 Army Troops to Protect World Economic Forum Meeting in Davos.”
The facts
Many misleading claims have been made about Davos and its organizer, including this one The WEF had its own police forcereportedly seen at the event.
The latest claim about a force of 5,000 troops deployed to protect the WEF is also misleading.
Screenshot of article shared on Twitter comes from the website of the Hal Turner Radio Show, home of Hal Turner, a right-wing conspiracy theorist who was sentenced to 33 months in prison in 2010, according to the FBI for threatening three federal appellate judges. Turner used his website for distribution numerous other false claims.
While the headline is wrong, there is a grain of truth in the article the screenshot is taken from. It states that the Swedish federal government has “set a cap of 5,000 soldiers who will provide support during the WEF, which will last from January 10 to 26”.
As statements about the Swiss Army (SAF) website, These safeguards are not new, having been approved for previous WEF meetings.
It is also crucial that a “maximum” of 5,000 soldiers were assigned to Davos, but not necessarily used.
“In 2023, the army will continue to support the civil authorities of the canton of Graubünden in performing security tasks in connection with the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF),” it says.
“Parliament has approved the deployment of a maximum of 5,000 troops for these civilian support operations from 2022 to 2024. The 2023 WEF meeting will be held from January 16th to 20th, the army mission will last from January 10th to 26th.”
More online information describes the SAF’s responsibilities at the WEF, including protecting “objects, people and airspace,” providing logistical support, and coordinating medical services.
“The armed forces do not participate in law enforcement services that are the responsibility of the police. The soldiers perform their duties in accordance with the Ordinance on the police Powers of the Armed Forces.”
news week has previously reviewed false claims about the founder of the WEF, Klaus Schwab, including that his father was a confidant of Hitler and that he attended the 2022 G20 conference alongside Bill Gates.
news week has asked the World Economic Forum and the Swiss Army for comment.
The regulation
Misleading Material.
During the WEF conference, the Swiss government approved the deployment of up to 5,000 soldiers to Davos.
However, that doesn’t mean all 5,000 will be deployed, as the social media posts suggest, nor will they take part in law enforcement, which remains the purview of the police.
The misleading social media post about Davos included a screenshot from a website with a track record of misleading and misinforming messages.
FACT CHECK BY Newsweek’s Fact Checking Team