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Thousands protest against Austria’s nationwide Covid lockdown

Ahead of Austria's national lockdown on Monday, crowds gathered in the nation's capital on Saturday to protest against the new Covid restrictions and compulsory vaccination.

Published: 20 November 2021 16:26 CET
Updated: 21 November 2021 10:52 CET
Demonstrators hold up placards reading 'Stop measures immediately' and 'Don't touch our children' during a rally held by Austria's far-right Freedom Party FPOe against the measures taken to curb the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, at Heldenplatz square in Vienna, Austria on November 20, 2021. - Austria will impose a lockdown for all and make vaccinations mandatory, Austria's Chancellor Schallenberg announced on November 19, making the country the first in the EU to take such stringent measures as coronavirus cases spiral. The Alpine nation plans to make Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory from February 1 next year, while the lockdown will start from Monday, November 22 and will be evaluated after 10 days.
Demonstrators hold up placards reading 'Stop measures immediately' and 'Don't touch our children' during a rally held by Austria's far-right Freedom Party FPOe Photo by Joe Klamar / AFP

Riots took place in the early afternoon in Vienna on Saturday, as protestors set off smoke bombs and threw bottles and cans at the police.

The authorities have already arrested ten people under the Prohibition Act, reported newspaper Kronen Zeitung.

In total, over 1,300 officers and some police dogs have been deployed, both from Vienna and the provinces, in response to those demonstrating against the nationwide lockdown due to come into force on Monday.

Some 40,000 people came out to protest in Austria.

Key points: How will Austria’s new national lockdown work?

The Austrian government on Friday announced that the country will go into its fourth lockdown and will make Covid-19 vaccines compulsory, as leaders again pleaded with the public to get vaccinated.

Since the announcement, thousands gathered at a rally held by Austria’s far-right Freedom Party FPÖ, waving Austrian flags and signs that argued for an end to the measures. Several demonstrators were restrained by police officers.

“It’s not normal that the government deprives us of our rights,” said 42-year-old teacher Katarina Gierscher, who travelled for six hours to attend the rally.

Some protesters wore a yellow star reading the words “not vaccinated”, in a nod to the Star of David many Jews were forced to wear during the Nazi era.

Austria’s Interior Minister Karl Nehammer expressed his outrage, saying in a statement that it “insults the millions of victims of the Nazi dictatorship and their families”.

Some have shared videos of the protest on social media, describing the new restrictions and future compulsory vaccination as a ‘Corona dictatorship’, while claiming that people want their freedom.

At protests with more than 50 participants, everyone must wear an FFP2 mask, unless all participants have a 2G certificate.

Under the lockdown rules, people aged over 12 without proof of 2G (full vaccination or recovery, or a first vaccine dose plus a negative PCR test) may not leave their homes except for essential reasons such as work or buying food.

Many of the demonstrators were reportedly not wearing a mask, but officials have been making identity checks throughout the afternoon.

READ ALSO: ‘Unavoidable’: How Austria has reacted to the new nationwide lockdown

Citizens were warned of temporary traffic disruption and road closures, while people were advised there could be restrictions to the public transport system.

Meanwhile, other cities in Austria also held demonstrations. In Innsbruck, thousands gathered. 

Austria’s nationwide general lockdown will start on Monday and will be reviewed after the first ten days. It will last for “a maximum” of 20 days for vaccinated people. This means it will end on December 13th if no further changes are made.

However, the lockdown for unvaccinated people is set to continue after the end of the general lockdown if judged necessary.

Schools will remain open during the lockdown, although children are advised to stay home wherever possible.

Covid-19 in Austria: Follow the latest developments as they happen

Shops and restaurants will be forced to close, while working from home will be mandatory in any job where it is possible to do so. 

Other new rules include the mandatory wearing of FFP2 masks in all enclosed rooms. Anyone found breaking the rules will face fines.

Everyone in Austria will need to be vaccinated from February 1st onwards, the government has also announced.

The new measures were announced after Austria recorded another all-time high for new daily cases on Thursday, with 15,145 cases reported in 24 hours.

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CRIME

Are there ‘young gangs’ forming in Vienna?

If you read Austrian tabloid media, Vienna has a 'gang' problem, with several crimes committed by groups of young people in recent months. But is that true?

Published: 18 April 2024 13:17 CEST
Are there 'young gangs' forming in Vienna?

Austrian tabloid media jumps on such stories: a group of teenage girls breaking into cars in Linz or vandalism and robberies committed by young people in Vienna. Particularly in the capital, it seems that there was a rise in crimes committed by groups of young people. But does that mean that Vienna has a gang problem?

According to the newspaper daily Der Standard, the Vienna Provincial Police Directorate (LPD) repeatedly states that the much-cited youth gangs do not exist but that there is “an increase in young people appearing in groups and committing offences”.  

What does that mean, and what is the difference between “young people appearing in groups and committing offences” and gangs?

According to the police: “The term gang is commonly used in everyday language – without a precise definition in this context. In criminal law, however, the term is clearly defined. From a criminal law perspective, a gang is an organised, hierarchically structured group of people intent on committing offences on an ongoing basis.”

READ ALSO: Which crimes are on the rise in Austria?

According to the police, they are dealing with “groups that come together spontaneously” and are not “hierarchically organised.” These groups mostly commit “thefts or minor robberies” but are not criminal organisations. 

So, technically, Vienna does not have a “youth gang” problem, but it does have an increase in young people in groups committing crimes – though the police didn’t share official numbers.

A recent Kurier report stated that the number of crimes committed by young people and children under the age of 14 has doubled in the last ten years.

At the same time, there has only been a slight increase among young people over the age of 14 and even a decrease among young adults. The main crimes committed by young people and adolescents are theft, damage to property, assault, burglary and dangerous threats.

Christian Holzhacker, Head of Education at the Association of Viennese Youth Centers, told Der Standard that it is important not to “stigmatise” an age group and that the word gang is often used in an “inflationary way”. He points out that in relation to the size of the Viennese population, the number of minors committing crimes is small, even if it is increasing.

He also highlighted that stigmatising regions or groups of young people who get together in public spaces is not the answer. “If you want to fight crime, you have to look at the realities of the lives of the people who have committed crimes,” he said.

READ ALSO: Is Vienna a safe city to visit?

What are the police doing about the crime?

Austria’s federal criminal police office has gathered a new special task force to combat youth crime (EJK). According to the Ministry of the Interior, the idea is to recognise the new phenomenon and combat youth gangs in Austria. 

The task force is set to carry out checks in public spaces, particularly in urban areas and “potential hotspots”, Kurier reported.

The task force also set up a “panel of experts” to suggest how parents can be more responsible, how children’s use of social media and cell phones can be improved, and how the asylum system can better accommodate young migrants.

However, Dieter Csefan, head of the task force, told Die Presse that most young offenders were born in Austria.

“There are unaccompanied minors, but the young people we meet in the groups and gangs usually have parents. And the prolific offenders often come from a normal home. They can also be native Austrians. So it’s not always just Afghans or Syrians”, he said.

He also mentioned that “lowering the age of criminal responsibility is one suggestion” to fight crime. Currently, the age is set at 18, but there are discussions and proposals to lower it to twelve. However, “that alone is not necessarily enough”, he added.

READ NEXT: Which parts of Austria have the highest crime rates?

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