Tens of thousands in Vienna
Protests against right-wing extremism also in Austria
January 27, 2024, 2:14 a.m
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Concern about rising right-wing extremism is also driving people onto the streets in Austria. Tens of thousands follow the call to “Defend democracy!” in Vienna. Many fear that the right-wing populist FPÖ could become the next chancellor.
In Austria, tens of thousands of people took part in anti-right-wing demonstrations. According to police estimates, up to 35,000 people gathered in front of the parliament building in Vienna on Friday evening. The organizers spoke of around 80,000 participants. A broad alliance of parties, associations and unions called for this to happen under the motto “Defend democracy!” to take a stand against right-wing extremism, racism and anti-Semitism. With their cell phones, the participants created a sea of lights around the National Council building.
Several thousand people also took to the streets against right-wing extremism in Innsbruck and Salzburg. The demonstrations were supported by many civil society and political organizations.
At the demonstrations, participants warned that the right-wing FPÖ could come into government after the parliamentary elections. The right-wing populists have been in first place in surveys since the end of 2022, well ahead of the also opposition Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the conservative Chancellor’s Party ÖVP. The FPÖ currently has almost 30 percent of voters behind it. It is currently represented in three state governments.
Over 200 protest events planned in Germany
The connections between the FPÖ and the right-wing extremist Identitarian Movement have recently been in the public eye. FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl described the Identitarians in 2021 as an “NGO from the right” with which there is overlap in terms of content. Martin Sellner, the former head of the Identitarian Movement in Austria, spoke about “remigration” at the recently announced meeting of right-wing extremists in Potsdam. By this, right-wing extremists mean that many people of foreign origin should be expelled. Two weeks ago, FPÖ General Secretary Christian Hafenecker defended the AfD representatives who took part in the Potsdam meeting as “patriotic politicians.”
There will be another demonstration against right-wing extremism in Germany this weekend. Are nationwide well over 200 events announced, including in Hamburg, where the demonstration on Friday a week ago had to be stopped due to overcrowding.