A total of 24 meetings – also on other matters – are to take place in Vienna on Saturday. The largest corona demo was organized by the FPÖ. According to the police and organizers, several thousand demonstrators are expected again.
Ludwig: Nothing lost in front of hospitals
Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) wants a ban on demonstrations in front of hospitals. “Even if the right to demonstrate is a valuable asset: demonstrations have no business in front of hospitals. Neither in front of kindergartens and schools,” said Ludwig in “Club 3”. The fact that hospital employees are threatened or hindered is “unbelievable”, “one should take sharp action against this”.
Seven demos already forbidden in advance
A total of 32 gatherings were registered for Saturday at the Vienna State Police Department, seven of which were prohibited, however, and one rejected due to a formal error. Some of the meetings taking place will be against the COVID measures. The “mega demo” announced by the Freedom Party with party leader Herbert Kickl starts at lunchtime at Heldenplatz. Like other organizers, Kickl is expecting several thousand participants.
1,400 police officers on duty
Again, the protests cause traffic problems in the federal capital. In order to ensure a safe process and compliance with the applicable Covid regulations, the Vienna police, supported by police officers from the other federal states, will be on duty with around 1,400 officers, according to a broadcast on Friday. In addition to staff for the security service and property protection, employees of the constitutional protection and the state criminal investigation office will also be on duty, it was also announced.
The Vienna police will again provide two contact officers for media representatives on Saturday. They should be contacted especially in cases of disruptive actions against journalistic work or if they are aware of criminal acts. Recently, there had been more and more attacks during demonstrations by opponents of the measures. Officials were injured and demonstrators – often from right-wing extremist circles – arrested.
Punz and Batruel take stock of the anti-corona demos
PULS 24 chief reporter Chronik Magdalena Punz and PULS 24 reporter Paul Batruel have the anti-corona demos on December 4th. accompanied in Vienna.
Kickl announced appearance
Before the demonstration, Kickl appealed to the participants to behave peacefully. It is crucial that protest measures take place in an orderly manner and peacefully. The FPÖ boss announced that he would appear with representatives of different spectra. “We will shame the government fanatics and jailers with peaceful protest.”
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP), on the other hand, made an appeal to demonstrators: he was aware that many were demonstrating because they had worries and fears. “But I urgently appeal to them that they do not allow themselves to be abused by violent marginalized groups, by right-wing extremists, by fools,” said Karner in the “Kurier” and “Presse” (Saturday editions), “please, don’t be abuse of this lousy right wing “. And he also appeals “to a few parliamentarians or to a party chairman who – you have to have this impression when you listen to them – deny that right-wing extremists are marching here,” said Interior Minister Kickl. “For some, it is not very far from corona deniers to right-wing radical deniers.”