In contrast to last year, the Linz police are not expecting any serious surprises in the form of serious mass riots on Tuesday evening. “We did our homework in advance,” emphasizes police commander Karl Pogutter, who can count on a large number of colleagues on duty.
How could the mass riots and riots in Linz come about in 2022? “At that time, there was mobilization in the digital space via social media platforms such as TikTok,” explains Linz police commander Karl Pogutter. Young people were called upon to take part under the hashtag “Linz becomes Athena”. The police chief emphasizes that there was no sign of such appeals in advance this year: “We will still – like on New Year’s Eve – occupy public space very heavily and intervene in the slightest incidents.” The question of why about the events of the previous year is not only a concern for the police in Upper Austria. Together with the Association of Cities, the state commissioned a study from the Criminal Law Institute at the Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU) to shed light on the causes of youth crime in urban areas. What, for example, are the motives for unplanned participation in riots? A final report will be presented at the turn of the year. Zero tolerance for hooligans If riots break out again on Halloween night, Integration State Councilor Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer promises zero tolerance for the perpetrators: “Anyone who crosses red lines will face the full consequences of the rule of law “In the previous year, there were 154 identity checks by the police in the wake of the riots. 25 people involved have now been legally sentenced by the judiciary to prison terms of between two and 18 months. But something is also being done when it comes to de-radicalization. The chairman of the Upper Austrian Families Association, Martin Hajart, refers to the planned project to expand street work into the digital space. “The aim is to reach young people between 12 and 27 in social networks and gaming communities.”
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