2023-10-14 15:57:38
Several demonstrations and the temporary roadblocks set up for them caused considerable delays in Vienna on Saturday afternoon. There were also demonstrations in Graz.
According to the ÖAMTC, the columns were at a standstill on the Inner Belt from the A23 (southeast tangent) to Prinz-Eugen-Straße and on the Outer Belt from Eichenstraße to Prinz-Eugen-Straße. Other traffic jam points were Rechten Wienzeile, Schüttelstraße, Untere Donaustraße, Roßauer Lände and Ringstraße.
The rallies and thus the traffic disruptions are likely to last until the evening. The ÖAMTC recommended switching to public transport when traveling to the city center.
One of the pro-Palestinian demonstrations started at Columbusplatz in Vienna with around 300 people. Organizer Sami Ayad from the Palestinian Community of Austria said: “We are not standing here today to cheer, but to mourn (…) against Israel’s state terror against the Palestinian population.”
Small pro-Palestinian demonstration in Graz
Meanwhile, an officially prohibited gathering in connection with the Palestine/Israel conflict still took place on a small scale at Südtirolerplatz in Graz on Saturday afternoon. Around 20 men and women had gathered and, among other things, waved the flag of Palestine. After the police spoke to the demonstrators, the group quickly split up. The people then marched away peacefully. There will still be an announcement.
At around 4 p.m., the number of police, media people and passers-by on Südtirolerplatz in front of the Grazer Kunsthaus was significantly larger than the number of participants in the meeting. About 20 people chanted “Free, free Palestine” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine must be free” several times and waved flags. Some of the gathering participants wore Palestinian scarves or T-shirts with Palestine prints. An older woman told journalists that she had been to Palestine three times for three months and knew what oppression was. She therefore wants to show solidarity.
The police said that from their perspective it was a gathering because more than two people were involved. The entire situation has been documented and will then be examined. There will probably be an announcement, but what comes of it will only become clear when the recordings are viewed. Overall, the meeting was quiet and, for the time being, without incident.
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