Police already on site

Palestine protest camps now also in Vienna!

(Bild: Gerhard Bartel)

For weeks, pro-Palestinian protests have kept numerous universities in the USA and the country's authorities on tenterhooks. Now activists have also set up tent camps in Vienna. The police are on site.

Specifically, there are several tents and dozens of people demanding "freedom for Palestine" and "justice", among other things, in Sigmund Freud Park near the Votive Church as well as on the campus of the University of Vienna (Altes AKH). According to the police, the rally in Sigmund Freud Park is officially approved, but the gathering in the Old General Hospital is not.

The demands of the demonstrators
"This is a spontaneous rally with around 100 people. The Vienna police are already on site and are examining possible measures in accordance with the Assembly Act," the Vienna Provincial Police Command told the "Krone" newspaper on Monday evening. A short time later, it said that no eviction would be ordered for the time being. It was a relocation of the registered protest. So far, the demonstration has also been peaceful.

The demands are similar to those in the USA: research funding for the arms industry should be stopped ("demilitarization of universities"). All cooperation with Israeli universities and companies that "support" the war in the Gaza Strip should be ended.

Polaschek condemns protests
Education Minister Martin Polaschek condemned the "pro-Palestine protests" at the university in the strongest possible terms, as his spokesperson Peter Stöckl explained. "There is no place for anti-Semites and extremists at Austria's universities," said Polaschek. He condemned all activities and protests that relativize terrorism, incite hatred and denigrate people. The Minister emphasized the German government's solidarity with Israel. He was also in contact with Austria's university rectors and university of applied sciences governing bodies with regard to possible protest actions.

University of Vienna distances itself from protest
The University of Vienna itself "resolutely" distanced itself from the concerns of the participants. Anti-Semitism and the trivialization of terror have no place at the University of Vienna, it said in a statement to the APA. Universities offer a critical forum for objective discussions, even on controversial topics. One-sided representations, intolerance, racism and anti-Semitism, on the other hand, are condemned in the strongest possible terms.

As a result of the Gaza war, protest camps have been set up at numerous universities in the USA in recent weeks, with demonstrations against Israel and in support of Palestine. Anti-Semitic incidents also occurred again.