Police: No danger

Syrians in Vienna celebrate the fall of the Assad regime

In Vienna, numerous Syrians gathered for a rally to celebrate the fall of the regime of ruler Bashar al-Assad.

(Bild: APA/MAX SLOVENCIK)

Several thousand Syrians and sympathizers gathered for a rally in Vienna's city centre on Sunday afternoon to celebrate the fall of the regime of ruler Bashar al-Assad. The FPÖ spoke of "chaos" and that the demonstration was getting out of hand. This is denied by the Vienna police. The number of demonstrators is said to have risen to around 30,000 in the meantime.

The large demonstration had been announced by the "free Syrian community in Austria in solidarity with the Syrian revolution", "in support of our displaced persons in the camps and their right to return to their newly liberated villages". In front of the State Opera, the demonstrators waved Syrian flags with the inscription "Free Syria". The end of the victory demonstration finally took place in front of the parliament.

Meanwhile 30,000 demonstrators
The organizers said they expected several thousand participants. According to initial information from the police, around 3,000 people were initially registered. FPÖ security spokesman Hannes Amesbauer spoke of around 12,000 demonstrators on Sunday afternoon. According to the Austrian news agency, the number of protesters is said to have risen to around 30,000.

The police no longer had the huge influx of Syrians from all districts towards the city center under control, Amesbauer said on Sunday. "Officers who were supposed to secure the soccer match between Austria and SCR Altach have already been withdrawn to Vienna city center."

Nepp demands resignation of interior minister and DSN boss
There are trivializing reports of fireworks and firecrackers, but there are already shots of joy from alarm guns. "There is already complete chaos!" said the FPÖ security spokesman, expressing his shock.

In Vienna, numerous Syrians have gathered for a rally to celebrate the fall of the regime of ruler Bashar al-Assad.

(Bild: APA/MAX SLOVENCIK)

Syrian flags with the inscription "Free Syria" were waved at the rally in Vienna's city center.

(Bild: APA/MAX SLOVENCIK)

According to the police, 3,000 people were registered for the demonstration.

(Bild: APA/MAX SLOVENCIK)

Dominik Nepp, head of the FPÖ party in Vienna, also saw the demonstration as a "total failure on the part of the Ministry of the Interior, the Vienna police and the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence". He identified a politically motivated and divergent approach to demonstrators, which was "unworthy of a constitutional state". Nepp demanded the immediate resignation of Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) and DSN head Omar Haijawi-Pirchner.

When asked by krone.at, the police could not confirm the use of alarm weapons, only pyrotechnics were used by the demonstrators. Police spokeswoman Anna Gutt denied that the rally would get out of hand. Gutt could not provide details on the exact number of participants at the moment, but it was "significantly more than 3000". Despite this, the atmosphere was relaxed and peaceful - no danger could be assumed at present. 

Foreign Ministry calls for an orderly transition process
In view of the change of power in Syria, the Foreign Ministry called for an "orderly and peaceful transition process" based on UN Security Council Resolution 2254 "towards a stable and inclusive political order. No excesses of violence or expulsions, respect for human rights and the protection of ethnic and religious minorities are the top priority," it said in a statement on Sunday.

Demonstration causes disruption to streetcars
The demonstration also caused disruptions to the streetcars: Ring lines were diverted or short-circuited. Wiener Linien recommends that passengers avoid the area as much as possible and use the subway lines.