There is terror, but also anger after the wild riots on the night of All Saints: As reported, young people in several Austrian cities gave in to their destructive rage. Passers-by and the police were also attacked and the damage caused was enormous. The pre-arranged excesses of violence in Linz are particularly horrifying: the perpetrators are now threatening serious consequences.
Scenes like those from the war zone took place all over the country on All Saints’ Night. Wild riots with all kinds of weapons and the mass arrests that followed left eyewitnesses and the general public speechless.
Striking: the riots in the center of Linz. About 200 young people had caused chaos and destruction there, even fireworks and glass bottles were thrown at passers-by and also at the intervening police officers, who served with a large contingent, including the Cobra task force. Particularly frightening: the teens had made an appointment over the internet on the TikTok platform for excessive violence.
“Thrown with fireworks and stones”
“Colleagues were harassed and sometimes fireworks and stones were thrown at them,” reports head of operations Michael Hubmann, who gave a rather mixed opinion about the Halloween night in Linz. “In order to finally bring the situation under control, the rioters were surrounded.”
There were 130 reports and several arrests. It is already clear: the majority of rioters – young men from Chechnya, Syria and Afghanistan – are in the country under the guise of protection. For this group of offenders, however, it is now going to be very tight. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) announced in an interview with the “Krone” the full strictness of the law. “Of course we take appropriate measures. In Linz in particular, I see a great need for rapid action,” says Karner. A security summit is immediately convened and the asylum refusal procedure starts, according to the conclusion.
Karner: “Doubts about asylum status”
“In all cases, we will look closely at the background and, in case of emergency, also question the asylum status. Violent perpetrators have no place at all in this country and should expect to be deported eventually,” the interior minister emphasized. “Citizens’ safety is our top priority and we will not be fooled by the troublemakers.” For many victims of the riots, that suggestion does not go far enough. Long prison sentences are also required in private conversations.
In some places in Klagenfurt, no stone was left unturned. There, a group of youths rioted in front of a house, damaged a car and rudely threatened the residents. Incredible reason: The disguised teens didn’t get any candy after they rang the bell. In Lower Austria an entire banquet hall had to be evacuated. 23 guests were seriously injured by sprayed pepper spray. In Graz, an argument in front of a nightclub ended with an attack on a police officer. The perpetrator faces jail time.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
