Demo against the right
“Election was for the National Council, not the government”
On Tuesday evening, the "Demonstration against the Right" took place in Vienna's city centre. According to the organizers, 30,000 participants marched through the city centre - exactly 25 years after the inauguration of the first black-blue government. There were short-term road closures and disruptions to streetcar traffic.
Friday, February 4, 2000: A Friday like any other, and yet it heralded a turning point in Austrian politics. In front of the Federal Chancellery in Vienna, a huge crowd of journalists and demonstrators waited for the new black-blue government to walk across the ice-cold Ballhausplatz to the Federal President for the inauguration. By order of the police, the government then had to enter the swearing-in ceremony via an underground passageway.
Memories of protests 25 years ago
For Kurto Wendt, co-organizer of the current "Demo against the Right", this moment remains unforgettable. "The crowd was so loud that the government was forced to go underground," recalls Wendt, who was press spokesman for the "wiederdonnerstag" movement at the time.
A quarter of a century later, "wiederdonnerstag" once again called for a large demonstration against a possible FPÖ-ÖVP coalition. In view of the current political situation, Wendt was combative: "Right-wing extremists have no place in a government - neither in 2000 nor in 2025. We were on the streets then and we are on the streets again today."
According to the organizers, 30,000 people marched from Ballhausplatz to the ÖVP headquarters in Vienna's Lichtenfelsgasse, where the demonstration ended with a whistling concert and a DJ. A loud appeal was made to the negotiators on the People's Party side: "Now is the chance to break off the negotiations". Shortly beforehand, rumors had been circulating that there would be a "pause in negotiations" following friction between the negotiating partners .
Thousands gathered on Tuesday evening to demonstrate against the possible coalition between the ÖVP and FPÖ:
Restrictions on traffic and ring routes
According to police spokeswoman Julia Schick, there were short-term traffic closures and diversions in the assembly area, but it was "an orderly assembly".
The police were deployed with numerous officers and drones. There were also restrictions on the ring lines during the rally. Wiener Linien advised passengers to switch to the subway and to pay attention to announcements and notices.
"We are the firewall, where are you? We say no to Kickl", shouted Sheri Avraham from IG Bildende Kunst and Marty Huber from Queerbase to the demonstrators at the beginning. The basic tenor of the protesters: History would repeat itself, albeit under new auspices. Back then Jörg Haider led the FPÖ, today it is Herbert Kickl.
Austria is a country that forgets quickly, criticizes Wendt. Not even six years have passed since the Ibiza video caused massive protests and 20,000 people demonstrated in front of the Hofburg with "Going to Ibiza".
Due to the demonstration, the D, 1, 2 and 71 ring routes can only be divided or diverted. Depending on the course of the demonstration, there may be various restrictions.
Wiener Linien Pressesprecherin Kathrin Schmidt
Concerns about setbacks for Austria
Wendt was particularly dismayed by the possible policies of an FPÖ-led government. Refugees would be put at an even greater disadvantage, women's policies such as the so-called "stove premium" would be set back and marginalized groups - including queer and non-binary people - would face new restrictions.
"Kickl is stirring up racism, anti-Semitism and hatred," said Wendt in an interview with krone.at and warned against attacks on independent media. Even before the election, Kickl had announced that he would curtail the ORF, cut media funding and ally himself with Viktor Orbán. "We don't want a media landscape in which the FPÖ determines what is reported on and what is not."
The message from the organization and the demonstration participants was primarily directed at the ÖVP: "We elected the National Council, not the government," emphasized Wendt. A majority without the FPÖ is possible - "the ÖVP would just have to finally stop negotiating with right-wing extremists".
When the FPÖ emerged as the force with the most votes in the National Council elections last fall, a large demonstration took place, as did when the ÖVP entered into government negotiations with the blue party at the beginning of January. Several 10,000 people took part in both events.
This article has been automatically translated,
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