165 people affected

Proceedings dropped after demonstration against gas conference

The proceedings against 165 climate activists on suspicion of serious collective violence and other charges in the course of the protests against the European Gas Conference 2023 in Vienna have been dropped. This was confirmed on Monday by Nina Bussek, spokesperson for the Vienna public prosecutor's office. The charges had already been dropped last Friday for reasons of evidence.

The police action on the first day of the conference had caused widespread discussion. On the morning of 27 March 2023, more than 100 people had formed a spontaneous protest march in Vienna's city center.

Wanted to break through the cordon
In Johannesgasse, the demonstrators then attempted to break through a police cordon in order to enter the area around the Marriott conference hotel on Parkring. The police responded with the widespread use of pepper spray, and batons were also used. The provincial police directorate then announced that 143 people had been charged with serious communal violence, resisting public authority and grievous bodily harm.

According to a police statement, the demonstrators had shown "a willingness to use violence against the police forces from the very beginning". Two officers were injured as a result. Pyrotechnic objects were also seized from some of those arrested, the Vienna Provincial Police Headquarters emphasized at the time.

"No dangerous object found"
"However, these were not firecrackers, but merely smoke flares, which are sometimes used at demonstrations or occupations to attract more attention, i.e. nothing that would endanger people", said lawyer Clemens Lahner. In addition, 150 people were surrounded and then searched individually. "Not a single dangerous object was found. The pyrotechnics were found in a different place, outside the kettle", Lahner referred to the investigation file. "So that is also no argument for peppering the people in the cauldron on a large scale.

As expected, he was pleased that the case had been dropped. "The police made the most serious accusations against the people involved in the protests against the European Gas Conference. These accusations have proven to be unfounded." In this context, the lawyer also referred to ongoing proceedings before the Vienna Administrative Court regarding the use of pepper spray by the police.

"The police have so far tried to justify this pepper spray excess by arguing that the demonstrators were the source of dangerous attacks. However, the Vienna public prosecutor's office apparently sees things differently."