Controversial speaker
Anti-Israel slogans at lecture at the University of Vienna
An event at the University of Vienna with guest speaker Francesca Albanese alarmed the authorities on Tuesday evening: The Italian is the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories - and is considered a figurehead of the pro-Palestine movement. There were corresponding concerns about an escalation similar to that at universities in the USA. The "Krone" was there.
On Tuesday evening, dozens of people gathered around 115 meters as the crow flies from the Vienna Fool's Tower to show their solidarity with the Palestinians in general and the UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese in particular. The Italian is responsible for reports from the Gaza Strip and has repeatedly been accused of being anti-Semitic.
Jews killed because of "oppression"
In a message to French President Emmanuel Macron, for example, she wrote: "The victims of October 7, 2023 were not killed because of their Jewishness, but as a reaction to oppression by Israel. France and the international community did nothing to prevent them. My condolences to the victims."
Albanese was nevertheless invited to a lecture at the University of Vienna on Tuesday, despite fierce protests from the Jewish community in Vienna in the run-up to the event. The main reason for the criticism was the relevant title of the event - "Genocidal war and complicity? The war against Gaza and Western responsibility".
What's more, the event was open to the public, which is unusual for a teaching event. Pro-Palestine groups then called on their members to attend in as large numbers as possible and show their solidarity.
"Avoid escalation like in the USA"
"The University of Vienna has so far been very successful in avoiding a political escalation comparable to US universities. The planned event represents a deliberate break with this hitherto very wise attitude of the University of Vienna," it said in a letter from the "Club of Friends of Israel".
The University of Vienna justified the event as a "critical discussion in the spirit of academic engagement with the topic" and once again condemned anti-Semitism in any form.
Apart from isolated chants of "down with Israel", there were no significant uproars on campus on Tuesday evening - Vienna is a far cry from the situation at individual US universities.
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