Shortly before the lockdown, a large demo in Vienna. 38,000 from home and abroad against the “Corona dictatorship” in Vienna. There was a lot of emotion. And rioting and arrests.
“Where’s the angry landlady?” Shouts a man into the crowd. She is not here yet. Never mind, there are enough angry people at Heldenplatz at noon. Austria flags everywhere. In between Italian, German, Czech, Romanian. Right-wing and left-wing radicals, concerned families, screamers and cross-heads. Many peaceful, many hateful, some ready to riot. Tenor: “Resistance to the vaccination dictatorship.” Whipers create a good mood. “Physicists and other unsuspecting people want to give us orders.” If the police warns of Corona measures, you can hear whistling concerts. And “resistance.” Is booed permanently. Bottles and cans fly in the afternoon. Rioters also use pepper spray against the emergency services. Green smoke. Hooligan-style Bengali fire. There are arrests, also because of the Prohibition Act. The FPÖ is dynamic. There is a buzz: “Austria again and again”. When the Strache-Kickl-Hofer trio was still singing the song arm in arm. The blue Herbert Kickl is – in contrast to his ex-comrade Strache – prevented. Because of Corona. He heated up the mood nonetheless – via social media. Interior Minister Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) thanked the emergency services: “They professionally ensured security in a difficult mission.” He described it as “completely unacceptable” that police officers attacked during the demonstration and would have committed criminal acts under the Prohibition Act. The ÖVP politician was also indignant about the use of yellow stars with the words “Unvaccinated” by demonstrators. “This is not only completely tasteless, but downplays the crimes of the National Socialists and offends the millions of victims of the Nazi dictatorship and their relatives.” Bizarre rumors on the fringes of the DemoBizarre news are making the rounds. City of Vienna employees lurk under manhole covers to vaccinate people. Police helicopters would try from above. All demonstrators ultimately march to Ballhausplatz. You see and hear “Heimatschutz instead of face mask”, “Leave our children alone”, “Resistance to the dictatorship is a duty.” The Scorpions are played: “Wind of Change.” It is about the end of the Cold War. In Austria, most would be enthusiastic about an end to the emotional division.
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