At first there were only 500 participants who followed the hum of 13 tractor engines over the Linz Nibelungen Bridge. On the banners, which primarily dealt with the vehement rejection of the compulsory vaccination, the “big Corona lie” was conjured up once again. The mask requirement was largely ignored.
The demonstration by opponents of the measures, which started shortly after 12 noon, had about eight kilometers to the end of the line at Linz main train station. Over the main square we went through the old town, past the country house and through the Römerberg tunnel. The train station and the final rally that took place there were finally targeted via the Donaulände, Gruberstraße and Europaplatz. The announced traffic chaos did not materialize, although the number of participants grew to more than 4,000 by the evening. There were only short delays locally. For the police it was also a sign that the calls to the population had borne fruit: many road users avoided the city center.
For the Mayor of Linz, Klaus Luger (SP), “the limit of usual protest meetings” was exceeded yesterday. Although it was possible to prevent absolute traffic chaos, there were again impairments of citizens on their way home. “Even the large, silent majority has their right to use public space under normal conditions,” says Luger.
“To be strongly condemned”
Above all, the incident at a demonstration in Braunau, where, as reported, a nurse was attacked last Sunday, triggered violent reactions yesterday.
Volkshilfe Oberösterreich sees an “unprecedented level of aggression”. As a civil society, one must counter radical demonstrators and agitators who attack people and abuse the vaccination debate in order to divide society, says chairman Michael Schodermayr. That is why Volkshilfe launched the “Heart over Hate” campaign.
Governor Thomas Stelzer (VP) also condemned the attack on the nurse yesterday “in the strongest possible terms”. The virus and the associated restrictions would understandably drain people’s strengths. “Some are currently showing their displeasure by using the right to demonstrate. But we will not allow people to be harassed and attacked,” said Stelzer. He called on the organizers of demonstrations to do everything possible to prevent such attacks.
Source: Nachrichten
