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PARLIAMENT

Man trashes parliament cameras with baseball bat

A man armed with a baseball bat managed to get into Vienna’s parliament building on Monday afternoon and smash two surveillance cameras.

Man trashes parliament cameras with baseball bat
The Austrian parliament building in Vienna.

A police spokesman said that nobody was injured and that the man’s frenzied attack on the cameras is likely to have been triggered by psychological problems.

The incident took place shortly after 1pm. Police spokesman Christoph Pölzl said that the man entered parliament via the visitor centre – which is located directly on the Ringstrasse. He found two security cameras and was able to destroy them with the bat.

He then made his way into the portico – a central area in parliament which is used for events and exhibitions – where he threw down the bat and was arrested. Police said he was cooperative and did not resist arrest.

Pölzl said the man told police officers that he was “protesting against the system”. He will be examined by a doctor later on Monday.