Protesters rally against World Economic Forum

Geneva police spokesman Jean-Philippe Brandt said that about 60 people were detained temporarily for checks and then later released with no charges. There were no reported injuries or damage to public buildings or businesses.

The last notable demonstration in Geneva took place in 2003 during a Group of Eight (G8) summit in Evian, France. Shop windows were smashed and stores looted in that protest in which police used rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons.

Geneva is best known as a world center for watchmaking and wealth management. The lakeside city is also home to the United Nations' European headquarters, the World Trade Organization, the Red Cross, and the offices of the World Economic Forum.

Speaking before the dramatic ending to Saturday's protest, Florence Proton of ATTAC Suisse, another group organizing the event, said it was important for outside voices to be heard in debates underway in Davos on how to tackle the world's problems.

"The people meeting in Davos are the ones responsible for this economic crisis that is becoming, and is now, global," she said.

At the Geneva rally, protesters on loudspeakers had called for the end of corporate bailouts, the nationalization of banks including UBS, and more government efforts to support workers and families during economic downturn.