Climate activists blocked the construction site and access road to the city motorway in Hirschtetten on Monday morning. Around 100 people had been in place since 6 a.m., the organizations reported. The police spoke of around 40 participants. The protest is directed against the feeder road of the major Lobau motorway project. “De-escalating talks are currently being held” and trying to persuade the activists to give in, said police spokesman Christopher Verhnjak.
Ultimately, however, evacuation is also a possible means. The police were also prepared for the fact that the activists could not voluntarily withdraw all of them: Special forces would be requested in order to be able to react to actions such as chainings – the climate protection activists had already chained or glued themselves to previous such blockades, according to the spokesman for the APA.
“Will resist”
Behind the blockade is a broad climate alliance, including the Youth Council, System Change, not Climate Change !, Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion. “While the climate crisis is already striking with forest fires and floods and forcing people to flee, Michael Ludwig and his regressive coalition are building new highways”, criticized Lena Schilling (youth council). “We will resist any road construction project that blocks our future. Sometimes we have to stand up for justice, sometimes we have to sit down for it. “
“Politics continues to block climate protection”
According to the activists, twelve and 13-year-olds also sat on the ground to block the access to the construction site. “We can still prevent the worst, but politics continues to block climate protection. That is why we feel compelled to use other forms of democratic protest in addition to the school strike, ”said Mirjam Hohl from Fridays For Future.
Construction will start in 2021
After the preparatory work, the construction of the city street is to begin at the end of this year, the road opening is planned for the end of 2025, the end of construction is planned for 2026. The valorized project costs amount to around 460 million euros. The city street is a connecting street. The 3.2 km long route is to connect the south-east bypass (A23, Hirschstetten junction) with the S1-Spange Seestadt Aspern at the Seestadt West junction. It is just as controversial as the planned Lobau tunnel.