Opponents of the corona measures and vaccination took to the streets again on Saturday in the federal capital, including this time relevant groups who also led a protest march across the ring in the afternoon. The police cracked down, stopped and divided the protest march, then carried out controls. The mood quickly heated up. There were clashes, apparently also to several arrests. The protest march started again some time later and continued across the ring back to Heldenplatz.
The two largest protests took place at Heldenplatz and Maria-Theresien-Platz from noon. Numerous Austria flags were held up, as well as banners and signs with anti-corona and anti-vaccination slogans. Despite announcements and calls, a large number of participants did not comply with the mask requirement this time as well. Even before the protests began, there was criticism in the social networks that numerous demonstrators did not wear masks in public transport on the way to the rally. In the afternoon around 2 p.m., a protest march began to move on the ring. At the height of the Goethe monument, however, the train was stopped. Reason according to the police: dangerous objects that had been found on some of the participants. These were subjected to a control. Part of the procession, whose participants can be assigned to the right-wing scene, was encapsulated from the rest of the protest march. Throws, pyrotechnics, pepper spray The atmosphere was tense. For example, there were reports of firecrackers being thrown into the crowd, and pyrotechnic objects were repeatedly ignited. A little later there were first clashes between the police and the protesters leading the way. There were reports of objects thrown at police officers. Pepper spray was used, as were the first arrests. Shortly before 3:30 p.m., the protest march started moving again and continued across the ring towards Heldenplatz. The police estimated the number of participants in the protests on Saturday afternoon at 40,000. At around 5 p.m., shortly before the demonstrators reached Heldenplatz, the protest march on the Ring, near the Burgtor, stalled again. Only a few participants moved on to the square. After several requests to move on, the police started identity checks. Once again, isolated groups set off pyrotechnics. Around 1,000 police officers were on duty, and officials from the federal states were also sent to Vienna to provide support. As a result of the protests and the closure of the Ringstrasse in sections, there were temporary obstructions to traffic in the inner city of Vienna. Around 6.30 p.m. the Ringstrasse was largely free again. Protest was also held in western Austria on Saturday. Vaccination opponents paralyzed downtown Bregenz for hours. Here, too, it was largely peaceful. Minister of the Interior appeals to the FPÖ Minister of the Interior Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) thanked the police officers on duty in a statement to the “Krone” and praised the “consistent intervention against violent criminals”. “Above all, the different field of participants – families with children, but also football hooligans and identities marching next to each other – demand top performance from the officers,” said Karner. In view of the upcoming corona demonstration in Innsbruck on Sunday, at which speeches by FPÖ boss Herbert Kickl and FPÖ general secretary Michael Schnedlitz have been announced, Karner appealed to the Freedom Party to “lead the political discourse in parliament and not on them To relocate the road “. This makes the work of the police easier and promotes cohesion in the country, emphasized the ÖVP minister.
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