Hit, kicked, dragged away: drivers attacked climate adhesive

According to the ÖAMTC, activists blocked several critical points from 7:45 a.m. and caused extensive traffic jams with hours of time lost. Among other things, the southern motorway (A2) at the Vösendorf junction was affected. Drivers reacted aggressively; according to their own video recordings, the activists were hit, kicked, dragged away and doused with water.

According to the ÖAMTC, there were quickly more than ten kilometers of traffic jams on the A2, and traffic was also backed up on the alternative routes B16 and B17. The western entrance at Auhof was also blocked. This also led to extensive traffic jams of around four kilometers into the city on the alternative route Hauptstrasse/Linzer Strasse. There were also blockades on the southeast tangent (A23) at the Altmannsdorfer Ast in front of the Altmannsdorfer Straße intersection and at the Handelskai exits in both directions. For this purpose, the exit from the A23 and the Donauuferautobahn (A22) in the direction of Lobau on Raffineriestrasse was closed, which led to traffic jams on all surrounding streets.

“We understand the frustration of drivers”

“Today we stuck on the A2. We confronted the traffic and the anger of the people to draw attention to the escalating climate crisis,” explained the “Last Generation Austria” on the platform X. More than 70 people took part at the protests. The activists spoke of “massive aggression” against themselves and also posted a video of it online. “We understand the frustration of drivers. Violence is not the answer. How will they react if roads are flooded or there is no drinking water?” asked the activists on X.

The police also confirmed on The emergency services were on site from around 7:50 a.m. and “secured the situation,” the Vienna State Police Directorate emphasized about the attacks on the activists. The Lower Austrian police were subsequently responsible and took over the official act.

“This form of protest is not normal”

“I stand by it: This form of protest is not normal. It is radical, reckless and unfortunately also life-threatening. Ms. Zadic (Minister of Justice Alma Zadić, Greens, note) finally needs harsher punishments,” said Lower Austria’s governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner (ÖVP) in a statement. Her deputy state governor Udo Landbauer saw a “complete failure” by Interior Minister Gerald Karner (ÖVP). He failed spectacularly with his “let it stick” policy.

“In the end, it is not the climate activists who are responsible for this situation, but rather the armchair gluers in the state government. Because apart from hot air, the responsible ÖVP state politicians have done little to protect the climate,” responded the NEOS state party leader in Lower Austria, Indra Collini. The Vienna regional parties of the FPÖ and ÖVP did not skimp on criticism of the activists in broadcasts and called for harsher punishments.

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