Dangerous behavior

Maypole hooligans drag 42-year-old witness along with their car

In Lower Austria—as here in Bockfließ, where the felled Maypole crashed onto a mill—things got particularly heated this year.(Bild: Freiwillige Feuerwehr Bockfließ)

Another Maypole incident in Lower Austria: In the district of Tulln, a tree trunk cut down during the night narrowly missed a passerby. A witness chased the perpetrators and was even dragged several meters by a car as they fled. But that was by no means the only dangerous incident on May 1.

The shock over the injured 16-year-old firefighter during the Maypole raising in Seitenstetten is still fresh, and now comes the next alarming report regarding the custom in Lower Austria: In the small municipality of Tulbing in the district of Tulln, two as-yet-unknown individuals cut down the Maypole with a chainsaw around midnight. According to police, the trunk narrowly missed a passerby as it fell.

Wanted to stop the perpetrators from driving away
A 42-year-old witness gave chase and stayed on their heels until they reached their car. The woman tried to stop the pair from driving away but was dragged along for about three meters in the process. She emerged from the incident unharmed.

Driver’s license revoked
The police were able to locate the hooligans quickly, but in the meantime, they had already reported the incident themselves to the district police headquarters. Both were charged, and the 21-year-old driver also had his driver’s license revoked due to his intoxication.

Florianis Invite You to a “Basic Course”
Meanwhile, the work of unknown Maypole fellers in Bockfließ, in the Mistelbach district, resulted in a damaged roof of a former grain mill. “We cordially invite those responsible to a free basic course in tree-felling techniques,” said the Florianis, who reported the incident.

Numerous acts of vandalism
Previously, the Maypole in the government district of St. Pölten had already been cut down. But reports of cut-down or toppled Maypoles weren’t limited to Lower Austria: In Bergheim near Salzburg, a tree fell onto the highway while being erected; in Mooskirchen in Styria, flagpoles, roofs, and facades were damaged after unknown individuals felled the festively decorated tree; and in Eisenstadt, the tree was even stolen.

Only one prank in the run-up to the May celebrations backfired: the Maypole in front of the fire station in Aggsbach-Markt, Lower Austria, was painted pink. But that’s exactly what made ita popular photo spot.