Jonas Square "dry"

New alcohol ban: raid on the very first day

The no-go zone was less than 16 hours old when the first priority action took place.

(Bild: Zwefo/Erwin Jannes)

Right from the start, the City of Vienna wants to show that it is serious about the alcohol ban on Franz-Jonas-Platz in Floridsdorf: the prohibition zone was less than 16 hours old when the first focus operation took place - with surprising results, even for the officers.

The red prohibition signs were not put up until late in the night on February 7, but the following afternoon, on the first day of the new alcohol ban zone on Franz-Jonas-Platz, the police and the Vienna Group for Immediate Action showed that the ban was more than just a threat.

No empty beer cans - but a liquor depot
However, the officers and district manager Georg Papai were able to establish that there were no empty beer cans: Even the clientele that had populated the square the night before with plenty of beer, wine and schnapps is apparently taking the ban seriously for now. "Not even an empty beer can" was to be found, a uniformed officer was pleased to report after the entire zone had been checked by several teams on rounds.

A close inspection of the food stall revealed surprising things.

(Bild: Zwefo)

The officers only found what they were looking for at one snack stand: The man behind the counter had an acquaintance in the stall with a can of beer for company - and on top of that, a hidden drawer full of small bottles of schnapps that he was not authorized to sell.

Demand since 2018

A ban on alcohol on Franz-Jonas-Platz has been under discussion since 2018. Not only the opposition, but also SPÖ district leader Georg Papai spoke out in favor of it. It has been in force since midnight on Friday, February 7, including the adjacent open spaces. However, the ban does not apply to the consumption of alcoholic beverages in pubs, at snack stands or at market stalls.

Everyone involved is aware that the results of the first "dry day" at Franz-Jonas-Platz were only a snapshot. Walter Hillerer, head of the city's emergency measures group, promised "continuous checks, especially during the warmer months of the year". Praterstern, where the alcohol ban has been in place since 2018, shows how effective this is.

The new signs are impossible to miss.

(Bild: Zwefo)

Before the start of the focus campaign

(Bild: Zwefo)

Where the usual clientele had been the day before, there was a yawning emptiness on the first day of the ban.

(Bild: Zwefo)

Patrols also keep their eyes open in the surrounding area
The police in Floridsdorf expect that the previous "regulars" of the square will probably look around the neighborhood in the future, but this has already been taken into account in the police work. On the afternoon of the first focus operation, the patrol officers therefore also paid particular attention to Floridsdorfer Spitz and Schlingermarkt.

Briefing in front of Floridsdorf railroad station with Walter Hillerer (2nd from right), head of the emergency measures group, and teams from the city and ÖBB

(Bild: Zwefo)

District head Papai is completely satisfied with the ban.

(Bild: Zwefo)

Papai was completely satisfied with the ban - an opinion that he apparently shares with many Floridsdorf residents: During his last weekend shopping trip to the Schlingermarkt, he barely got to work off his shopping list due to the popularity of many citizens, he said.

The officials do not share the criticism that the alcohol problem on the square is only being displaced by the prohibition zone. Any dispersal of the scene would ensure smaller groups in which the situation would not escalate so quickly: "You have to imagine it like soccer hooligans. The more there are, the faster situations can escalate." There was hardly any real threat from the groups, but there were indeed "unacceptable" situations for the general public's sense of security. This should now finally come to an end.