"Hundreds of participants"
Activists take to Vienna’s streets again from May
The climate activists of the Last Generation are once again announcing a wave of protests. From May 4, protests against climate change will once again take place at regular intervals. What exactly does this mean for drivers, whose daily lives are often abruptly interrupted?
It was already to be feared: A new and thus eighth wave of climate sticker protests will be rolling across the German capital from May 4. Most recently, they briefly caused an uproar at the Vienna Marathon. This was not the first time this year.
Between February 26 and March 3, 2024, 100 arrests were made during various unlawful actions in Vienna. Since 2023, there have been 3700 reports so far, of which around 150 have been made to the criminal justice system.
Protests will take place in and around Vienna in the following days. Kleber will certainly also be used.
Eine Sprecherin der Letzten Generation
"Severe penalties"
They and all other participants now face "severe penalties", according to the Ministry of the Interior. Only recently, a fine of 1,200 euros imposed by the Vienna Provincial Police Directorate was confirmed by the Provincial Administrative Court. Eleven climate activists had blocked the roadway near the Reichsbrücke bridge in May 2023 and were fined 1,200 euros per person.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) was "very grateful" for the Vienna court's firmness towards the climate stickers. He wants to continue to take action against them "with all vehemence".
No obstacle for the group of climate stickers: they will start on May 4 with a large protest in front of the parliament. This will be followed by "peaceful resistance", as they themselves say. The risk of an administrative fine is accepted. "Protests will take place in and around Vienna in the following days," a Last Generation spokesperson told the "Krone" newspaper.
Hundreds of protesters expected
The group expects hundreds of people to take part in the large-scale protest and around 100 participants in the protest days. The forms of protest were kept under wraps. Just this much: some will be familiar, some new. And: "Glue will certainly be used too."
In any case, the police are prepared. As already proven in many operations, they are now "very experienced, consistent and prudent in their interventions", the police told "Krone". The situation is constantly being monitored and assessed. There will also be "concrete operational planning and preparations for any actions in May".
Freedom of assembly applies
In principle, freedom of assembly is protected by Art. 12 of the Austrian Constitution and Art. 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Nevertheless, notification of an assembly is required and restrictions by the authorities are also possible. This means that an administrative penalty is possible for climate activists who do not leave a protest site despite a police order.
From May 4, drivers should therefore keep calm and keep a cool head. In the past, there have been repeated incidents with angry drivers who were on their way to work and wanted to take matters into their own hands.
No vigilante justice!
However, if you drag the activists off the road in the heat of the moment, you would make yourself liable to prosecution. So it's best to wait for the police and hope that "we (the activists, editor's note) always inform all rescue control centers before every protest".
Proceedings dropped after death
Last May at least, however, this is unlikely to have worked. Climate stickers had paralyzed traffic at the Verteilerkreis in Vienna, blocking a rescue operation - with an ultimately fatal outcome. The activists admitted that the rescue services were not informed of the protest location as is usually the case. The group was subsequently reported to the police. A month later, however, the Vienna public prosecutor's office dropped the case.
Nevertheless, the call for tougher consequences is getting louder and louder and the new wave of protests will certainly not make it any quieter ...
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