Protesters staged an unauthorized protest in the Austrian capital, Vienna, to show their displeasure at the government’s strict blockade. Police blocked the central ring road and tried to disperse the crowd.
Between hundreds and thousands of protesters gathered in Maria Teresa Square in the center of the Austrian capital, according to various local media. Protesters defied the ban on the large demonstration issued by the authorities.
Protesters who soon occupied part of the Vienna ring road called the event a “ Covid-19 walk ”. Several right-wing fringe groups, hooligans and coronavirus skeptics, among others, chanted slogans against the shutdown of Covid-19 and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. There are reports that several protesters came from other parts of the country.
The protesters carried signs and banners that read: “The media are the virus” Yes Kurz has to go. Some of them also waved the Austrian flag. Police demanded that protesters follow social distancing rules and wear masks, but requests were ignored, media said, adding that police declared the gathering illegal and demanded that the crowd disperse within 15 minutes. .
A large number of police officers in riot gear were deployed to the scene. They blocked off a section of the ring road to prevent crowds from marching towards the Austrian parliament and the Vienna State Opera. The demonstration turned into a tense clash with the police, with clashes between protesters and officials on the fringes.
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Several people were arrested, according to Austrian media. A video posted on social media shows that at least one journalist was among those arrested.
Previously, an authorized demonstration had taken place elsewhere in the capital, but only several dozen people were present. In total, police have banned 15 protests planned this weekend to “Keep at a distance the main dangers to public health”.
Another event organized by the right-wing Freedom Party (FPO) finally took place online. During the event, former Home Secretary Herbert Kickl called the ban on protests a “A whole new kind of censorship” and accused the Austrian media of collusion, which would imply a unanimous contempt in media reports for Covid-19 skeptics and scientists with different opinions.
Austria began its third national lockdown on December 26 and restrictive measures were recently extended until early February. The government is also expected to review its lockdown policy on Monday and extend it or relax some rules. Currently, all non-essential shops, museums and schools are closed and entry rules for foreigners have been tightened, apparently to discourage foreign tourists from visiting popular ski resorts.
According to Austrian media, the restrictions have shown some effectiveness, with the country dropping from 7,000 new cases per day in November to around 1,500 new cases per day this week.
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