5000 on climate strike

Fridays For Future: “Voting is like brushing your teeth”

Climate strike on Friday in Vienna(Bild: APA/Florian Wieser)

Fridays For Future held climate strikes across Austria on Friday. Depending on the city, up to several hundred people took part in the events. The focus was on the EU elections on June 9 and the EU renaturation law (see video above).

In Bregenz, for example, there were banners with messages such as "If you don't take environmental problems seriously, you are one yourself" or "There is no planet B". On June 9, there is a chance to "vote for the climate", every vote counts. The program in Vorarlberg's provincial capital included short speeches and live music.

Climate strike in Vienna on Friday(Bild: APA/Florian Wieser)

"Wake up, people. You are endangered too" can be read on this sign held by a participant.(Bild: APA/Florian Wieser)

In Klagenfurt, 75 participants marched through the city center in the rain. In Carinthia's provincial capital, the EU renaturation law was one of the topics discussed. The Scientists for Future Carinthia had only sent an open letter to Governor Peter Kaiser (SPÖ) on Friday. It should be clarified which federal state is behind the revised law. This provides, for example, for more forests to be reforested and moors to be rewetted.

Climate strike in Berlin(Bild: AFP/John MacDougall)

In Bregenz, the participants were caught in the rain.(Bild: APA/Jochen Hofer)

250 participants in Salzburg
Around 40 people took part in a demonstration in Kufstein (Tyrol). "Voting is like brushing your teeth. If you don't do it, it turns brown," was the motto according to the activists. More people gathered in Salzburg on Friday afternoon, with around 250 people taking part. The protest was directed, for example, against the black-blue state government, which is playing nature and climate protection off against each other.

In Vienna, the environmental organization World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) called for "political solidarity" for the EU renaturation law in front of an estimated 4,000 participants. At the final rally, the activists called on people to vote by collectively brushing their teeth.

The climate strike on Friday, May 31, was also held in Innsbruck, Graz (around 500 people) and Linz. Cabaret artist Berni Wagner performed in the Upper Austrian capital. In total, more than 500 people responded to the Fridays For Future call. There were more than 100 events across Europe.