People in Vienna took to the streets, protesting against lockdown – SME.sk

VIENNA. Thousands of people protesting against the lockdown announced by the Austrian government are waiting for a demonstration in Vienna on Saturday. With Lockdown, the government wants to curb a rapidly escalating wave of infections coronavirusthat affected the country.

The media is already writing about the first clashes in the streets, which led to the police having to disperse the crowd, while at least one police officer ended up on the ground. Security forces have already used smoke grenades.

The far-right opposition Free Party of Austria (FPÖ) is one of the perpetrators of the protest. Party leader Herbert Kickl called the anti-pandemic measures a “dictatorship.”

Kickl is unable to take part in the protest in Vienna because he announced this week that he has a positive test for Covid-19 and must be quarantined for 14 days.

Will they attack parliament?

According to the daily Kronen Zeitung before the protests, it was said that demonstrators could try to attack parliament, government buildings, hospitals or the media. The hooligans who took part in the protests earlier this year are also expected to be in the crowd.

The Viennese police therefore deployed about 1,300 police officers from the capital and other parts of the country.

In demonstrations with more than 50 participants, it is mandatory to wear a respirator, or all participants must have confirmation that they have overcome the disease or are vaccinated.

Saturday’s demonstration had been planned for a long time, but additional motivation was given to the opponents by the mandatory vaccination from February, which the government announced on Friday. Slogans such as Enough, They or We or Now or Never began to spread on social networks, writes the Die Presse website.

The organizers announced in advance that the city would be “paralyzed”. “The government’s announcement gave them the most effective help in mobilizing them,” Bernhard Weideinger, an expert on far-right extremism, wrote on Twitter.

One of the lower vaccinations

Lockdown v Austria will begin on Monday and last for at least ten days. It will then be re-evaluated and extended for a maximum of 20 days.

Most stores will be closed and cultural events will be canceled. People will only be able to leave their homes for certain specific reasons, such as being able to buy groceries or see a doctor.

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At the same time, the Austrian government has decided that vaccination against coronavirus in the country will be mandatory from 1 February.

Vaccination in Austria it is one of the lowest in Western Europe. According to government figures, less than 66 percent of the country’s 8.9 million people are fully vaccinated.