“Defend democracy”: Large demonstration against the right in Vienna

According to the organizers, at least 80,000 people gathered in front of the parliament in Vienna in the evening at a widely supported mass rally to “defend democracy”, despite the rain. According to the police there were up to 35,000 people. There were also protest events in Innsbruck and Salzburg.

What was discussed at the recently announced meeting of right-wing extremists in Germany was no surprise, says Mireille Ngosso from Black Voices Austria. “This is something we have always feared.” Many black people and people with foreign roots in Austria are afraid. “Some of us have already packed our bags or are thinking about which country we could flee to,” said the SPÖ local councilor. Erich Fenninger, spokesman for the Platform for a Humane Asylum Policy, also warned against the “deportation fantasies” of the right-wing extremists.

• On the subject: Today several demos against right-wing extremists

The demonstration, which was organized by Black Voices, Fridays for Future and the Platform for a Human Asylum Policy, was supported by a broad front of civil society organizations – including ÖGB, AK and Caritas – as well as the SPÖ and the Greens. The participants also included representatives of religious communities and from the arts and culture sector. Actress Mavie Hörbiger, for example, read a text by the writer Elfriede Jelinek.

“There are so many of us”

Other prominent actors such as Cornelius Obonya and Katharina Stemberger as well as Volkstheater director Kay Voges also spoke up. If the FPÖ comes to power, it could mean the end of democracy, Voges warned in his speech. But: “There are so many of us who reject the plans of the AfD, FPÖ and the Identitarians, so many who want to defend democracy.”

• Also read: Too many participants: demonstration against the right in Munich canceled
• Live blog: You can read all the current events surrounding the demonstrations in our live blog

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