Solidarity and criticism

Incident before Kickl speech: The waves are running high online

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Screenshot/X)

Even the day after, the FPÖ election rally on St. Stephen's Square in Vienna is still the subject of heated debate on social media. But not primarily because of the incendiary speech by blue frontman Herbert Kickl, but rather because of the incident during a live broadcast on the TV station Puls24 on Saturday evening.

What happened? Christoph Isaac Krammer, a reporter for the TV station Puls24, and his cameraman were harassed by a Freedom Party sympathizer during a live broadcast of the FPÖ election campaign finale on Friday evening - and subsequently verbally abused. The whole thing happened just before Herbert Kickl's incendiary speech.

"Schleich di"
The man interrupted the reporter, covered the camera image with his hat and tried to knock the microphone out of Krammer's hand. This was followed by expletives such as: "Du Oasch" and "Schleich di". 

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Screenshot/X)

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Screenshot/X)

Broadcaster: "Not the first incident of this kind" 
Krammer reported that the mood in the FPÖ was aggressive. According to the broadcaster, the incident was not the first of its kind at FPÖ events.

Video of the FPÖ election campaign finale: Kickl wants to make Haider's dream come true

Since then, the incident has been the subject of heated debate on social media, with opinions differing widely.

SPÖ, Greens and NEOS strongly condemn incident
SPÖ and NEOS strongly condemn the incident on "X". Full solidarity with the journalist and the cameraman," writes the red party's federal director Eva Maria Holzleitner. 

"Constant agitation by the blue party" 
The pink media spokeswoman Henrike Brandstötter takes the same line on X: "This is the result of the constant agitation of the blue party against the 'system media' in combination with the swashbuckling platforms that are busy setting things on fire." And the outgoing Green media spokesperson Eva Blimlinger writes: "Protecting press freedom - the FPÖ wants to prevent it." 

Caritas President Michael Landau also expressed his shock on X: "Nobody should say that he or she didn't know ..."

"Reporting must be possible without bodyguards"
Another user writes: "Some of these right-wing conservative rage and hat citizens clearly have a problem with democracy. That's also part of the truth. Reporting must be possible without bodyguards, something like this is not tolerable." User McAviti counters this: "Yes, freedom of the press is a valuable asset, but crying that reporting without bodyguards is not possible because of a shoving pensioner? Stay realistic. Especially as the media should also refrain from provocation, otherwise they are activists, not journalists."

Did reporters block the view of wheelchair users?
In the meantime, there are also many other critical voices claiming that the reporter behaved incorrectly. He is said to have pushed his way into the middle of the crowd, blocking the view of some wheelchair users. An accompanying person then became angry with the reporter. The verbal attacks were more or less the logical consequence. 

Other users even wrote of a "targeted provocation" against the FPÖ and its sympathizers. 

Criticism of broadcaster: "Perhaps this is exactly what they wanted"
Jürgen Müller from the #AufarbeitungJetzt platform also takes the reporter to task: "You could also have a de-escalating and journalistic effect here by not standing in the middle of the crowd listening to the speech. But maybe that's exactly what they wanted."

However, almost all users agree on one thing: the FPÖ sympathizer's choice of words ("Schleich di", "Oasch") definitely went too far and were inappropriate ...