Davos is a small town in the Eastern Swiss Alps with two districts, Davos Platz, home to the congress center, with 6,730 inhabitants, and Davos Dorf with 3,370 inhabitants. The European Management Forum was first held here in 1971, followed by the World Economic Forum since 1987.
Between 2,500 and 3,000 participants attend the WEFs each year, along with around 400 media representatives.
The village lies at 1,540 m / 5050 ft above sea level, surrounded by mountain peaks rising to 3,100 m / 10170 ft. The village is only accessible via two routes, from Landquart and Klosters, which greatly simplifies security arrangements for the event. During the WEF, Davos is effectively in a state of emergency, controlled by the police and military.
Life in Davos is shaped by the WEF. Many business premises stand empty all year round or are vacated for the duration of the event and rented out to international corporations for their presentations. The housing market is precarious: many people have a clause in their rental agreement stating that they must clear their apartments of personal belongings during the WEF and find alternative accommodation.
Protests against the WEF are not permitted during the event and are only permitted to a limited extent before it begins: protests only take place in larger cities such as Zurich. Against this backdrop, the action taken by twelve locals, who used 450 torches to write «NO KINGS» in letters clearly visible from the WEF below a mountain peak, is a logistical masterpiece:
So, on the day before Trump's arrival, they leave their homes and workplaces in pairs. Trudging through Davos in ski touring gear, with skis prepared with skins, hats, thick jackets, and huge backpacks containing a total of 450 torches and 15 spray cans, they pass the convention center and the excited clientele on the main promenade. Passersby from all over the world film them, thinking they are wildly romantic Swiss people — the local police, the military, and the international security services pay no attention to them. It is around 2 pm. Their destination: the Grüniberg, 800 m / 2629 ft above Davos, which lies at 1,540 m / 5050 ft.
At 4:15 pm, they reach the mountain. First, the team walks along the GPS track [prepared in advance] to mark the letters — a laborious task in deep snow. Then they mark the letters with naturally biodegradable chalk spray. At the same time, the ten receive feedback from two other members who are standing below near the convention center and looking up at the mountain: «Further to the left, further to the right, more visible». A helicopter flies past the mountain once, but no one intervenes. «They must have seen us», believes one of the participants.
About four hours later, they light the torches they have set up below the summit. A glowing fire inscription appears above Davos: NO KINGS. It can be read all the way down in the village — even from USA House and thus, in effect, by the recipient of this message: Donald Trump.
They remain at the top for another two hours until the torches have burned down. Then they clear away all the torches and rubbish. After a 45-minute descent on skis, they are back in the village at 11 pm, «completely exhausted but satisfied».
Source: Swiss Tagesanzeiger, January 24, 2026, in German, may be behind paywall: The Twelve from the Mountain — Who's Behind «No Kings» High Above Davos
When the twelve wake up the next morning, their action on the mountain is already all over the media...
