Pride flag in Graz

Rainbow flag stolen after just one hour

SPÖ leader Andreas Babler with LR Doris Kampus, Joe Niedermayer (left) (RosaLilaPantherInnen), on the right Verena Nussbaum, Hannes Schwarz and Anna Robosch(Bild: SPÖ Graz)

On Saturday, the SPÖ Graz, together with federal party leader Andreas Babler, hoisted a rainbow flag at the Volksgarten pavilion in Graz. Less than an hour later it was gone. A report is planned.

June is all about the rainbow. Many people are campaigning for the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual people and others from the LGBTIQ+ community during Pride Month. At around 10.15 a.m. on Saturday, SPÖ members hoisted a flag at the pavilion in the Volksgarten in Graz.

Nasty surprise
Just an hour later came the nasty surprise: the flag had disappeared, as the chairwoman of Soho Styria - the LGBTIQ organization within the SPÖ - Anna Robosch describes. The colorful flag was found a short time later. Unknown persons had tried to throw it into the Mühlgang.

When Soho activists tried to return the flag, they were, according to Robosch, "attacked by a passing couple with the words: 'You should burn the flag'."

Charges are being prepared
Robosch wants to report the incident to the police on Monday. "We will report both the attack on the flag and the personal hostility towards our activists, because we will not simply accept the hatred. And we will certainly not allow ourselves to be intimidated, but will continue to be openly and proudly visible."