"Alarm for the Republic"

First major demonstration against black-blue paralyzes Vienna

Exceptional atmosphere in front of the Hofburg in Vienna

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

A rally is currently underway in the Austrian capital with thousands of people gathering in front of the Federal Chancellery on Ballhausplatz to demonstrate against a government with the FPÖ. The ÖAMTC warns of obstructions in road traffic.

Now that Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen has entrusted Herbert Kickl (FPÖ) with the task of forming a government after all, things are really stirring in the political landscape. The reactions of Austrians are correspondingly strong.

Estimates range between 5000 and 50,000 participants
According to the organizers, as many as 50,000 dissatisfied people gathered at the Vienna city rally on Thursday under the motto "Alarm for the Republic". The ÖAMTC initially stated 5,000 participants on its website, while authorities spoke of 25,000 protesters.

NGOs such as Volkshilfe, Greenpeace and SOS Mitmensch had called for a human chain. "We don't want a right-wing extremist Austria", "Stand together against the right" and "Nazis out of parliament" were printed in bold letters on banners. 

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

Hundreds also protested in other provincial capitals such as Graz and Innsbruck.

(Bild: Hannah Tilly)

"Caesura in the second republic"
Erich Fenninger, Federal Director of Volkshilfe, expressed his dismay that the ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS had not jumped over their shadows to form a joint government despite having a parliamentary majority in an incredibly difficult economic situation. "This is perhaps something of a caesura in the second republic", many find this "dismaying".

Under an FPÖ Chancellor Kickl, there is a threat that people will be devalued, people and NGOs will be put on "wanted lists" and the next government will restructure the country along the lines of Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The people were therefore also here to show "that we will be vigilant as a civil society, that we will not follow the same development as in some other countries."

Various posters warned against agitation, social cuts and setbacks in environmental protection. With its history, Austria "cannot afford a right-wing extremist chancellor", emphasized "Omas gegen Rechts" spokesperson Susanne Scholl and warned against the undermining of the rule of law and democracy and the disregard for human rights.

"The Freedom Party is dividing society"
"No matter how complicated and hopeless a situation is or may seem, right-wing politics was, is and will never be a solution. Not for society, not for Austria," the angry Gloria (25) tells krone.at. "I am against racism and misanthropy. The Freedom Party is dividing society, that's why I'm here today. Because I can't make a statement alone at home," says medical student Katharina.

Chiara (17) (left) is disappointed: "I expected that the three very different parties would somehow be able to come together to prevent a party that definitely wants to destroy our state."

(Bild: Hannah Tilly)

"Need to start learning history"
"I just think it's important to make it clear that not all of Austria is behind Chancellor Kickl. 71 percent did NOT vote for the Freedom Party. And allowing an extreme right-wing party to govern has cost us taxpayers an incredible amount of money in the past with all the committees of inquiry surrounding Grasser, Strache and co. We have to start learning history, as Kreisky said," says student Leon with conviction.

Traffic jams and road closures
The ÖAMTC warned of obstructions in road traffic. "There may be road closures on the Ringstrasse and adjacent roads at any time," it says on its website. The tip: take a wide detour.

Possible congestion points

• Ring from Schwarzenbergplatz
• Zweierlinie (Vordere and Hintere Zollamtsstraße to Schwarzenbergplatz and on towards the provincial court)
• Schwarzenbergplatz and Karlsplatz
• Wiedner Hauptstraße/Kärntner Straße
• Rechte Wienzeile
• Burggasse
• Rennweg
• Prinz-Eugen-Straße

Hundreds in Innsbruck and Graz
In Innsbruck, too, opponents of a possible blue-black federal government met in the city center early Thursday evening. The demonstrators gathered in front of the Annasäule in Maria-Theresien-Straße in response to a call from the "Bündnis gegen Rechts" (Alliance against the Right). According to the police, around 500 people took part in the rally, which has been calm so far.

There was also a demonstration in Graz on Thursday afternoon: 100 to 200 women, men and children gathered on Südtirolerplatz. The alliance "Offensive gegen Rechts Steiermark" had invited people to the rally. Several organizations and groups were involved, such as "Omas gegen Rechts" and the "Revolutionary Communist Party". Together they demonstrated "against blue-black" and "against a Federal Chancellor Kickl". Among the chanted slogans could be heard: "What does black and blue mean? Racism and social cuts."

The rally also promoted a demonstration against the Graz Academics' Ball on 25 January. In the coming weeks, another demonstration against right-wing extremism has been registered for Thursdays in Graz.

Comeback of the Thursday demonstrations possible
The demonstrations could also be the starting signal for a new edition of the Thursday demonstrations outside of Graz. After the inauguration of the first black-blue coalition in February 2000, more than 150,000 people gathered at Heldenplatz in Vienna to protest against the new ÖVP-FPÖ government and its feared "racism and social cuts". In the following two years, weekly rallies were held with thousands of demonstrators.

From October 2018, the demonstrations were revived in Vienna and other cities under ÖVP head of government Sebastian Kurz and FPÖ Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache because of Türkis-Blau. They came to a natural end when the Ibiza affair broke up the coalition. Even after the most recent National Council elections, which brought the FPÖ a record result of 29%, thousands took to the streets at the beginning of October to protest against the FPÖ's possible participation in government. The organizers spoke of 25,000 participants.