Commotion in Carinthia

Carnival guild demands money after terrorist attack

Carnival is in full swing in Villach, with the fools inviting people to (almost) sold-out sessions – last year, the season was ended prematurely after the horrific knife attack.(Bild: Knaus)

In two weeks, it will be the first anniversary of the horrific attack in Villach, in which a student was killed and five other people were seriously injured. As preparations are made for the trial of the Syrian attacker, an unexpected demand for money from the carnival guild is causing controversy.

It is difficult to mention carnival and terror in the same sentence. But in Carinthia last year, the beautiful was overshadowed by the worst: in the middle of the carnival season, on February 15, 2025, at around 4 p.m., 23-year-old Islamist Ahmad G. stormed the main square in Villach and indiscriminately attacked male passers-by with a knife he had purchased beforehand.