The City of Vienna has withdrawn its threat of legal action against underage supporters of the demonstration camp against Stadtstraße in the Danube city.
The office of planning councilor Uli Sima (SPÖ) confirmed a corresponding report in the “Kronen Zeitung” on APA request. Against the adult recipients of the legal letter, however, the claims remain in force. Sima therefore spoke of a mistake by her lawyer, of “genuine regret” and invited those affected to a debate: “I would like to apologize personally,” she is quoted in the “Krone”.
In the attorney’s letter, the city of Vienna asked the recipients to immediately evacuate the demonstration camps against the city street in the Danube city. Otherwise, legal action would be initiated and the “damage caused” in the millions would be claimed from the activists.
“First step in the right direction”
For the state party chairman of the Wiener Grünen, Peter Kraus, it was still incomprehensible “that such threatening letters are sent to minors at all”. It is just as incomprehensible that the SPÖ only recognized and admitted this mistake after very loud warnings weeks later. The promised apology and withdrawal of threats against minors may be “a small step in the right direction. However, it is still a long way from a real dialogue with climate protection on an equal footing,” said Kraus. In addition, the threats against scientists and against “mental supporters” would continue to exist. “Here, too, the SPÖ has to give in,” demanded the state party chairman.
For Greenpeace, withdrawing the threat of legal action was “overdue and a first step in the right direction”. The NGO demanded, however, that the threats of legal action against numerous other recipients – who in some cases only supported the protests against the city highway – be withdrawn. “It is time to end this shameful chapter in the history of social democracy and to take back the threats of legal action against all those affected,” demands Klara Maria Schenk, climate and traffic campaigner at Greenpeace.