After a knife attack on a movement critical of Islam in the German city of Mannheim, in which a police officer was killed, the right-wing extremist Identitarian Movement demonstrated in the center of Vienna on Thursday. About 100 people gathered in a park near the German embassy. The organizers announced in advance that the meeting was about solidarity with German Islam critic Michael Stürzenberger, who was injured in the attack.
During the rally, about 100 participants waved red-white-red Austrian flags.
“Remigration is protection of the homeland”
Slogans such as ‘Remigration is internal security’ could be read on unfurled banners.
Airplanes were depicted next to the letters; an unmistakable symbol of deportation flights. Some participants were masked and press photographers were repeatedly barred from attending the meeting with umbrellas.
One of the core demands of the Identitarian Movement to the governments of Austria and Germany is the start of so-called ‘remigration’. In right-wing and extreme right-wing circles, this means that people with foreign roots are being expelled or deported en masse. Even if you have lived in Austria for a long time or have an Austrian passport.
Secret meeting of right-wing extremists last year
The former leading head of the IB, Martin Sellner, was one of the speakers at a secret meeting of right-wing extremists in Potsdam in November 2023, where the mass expulsion of people with a migrant background from Germany was said to have been discussed.
Counter-protesters in the center of Vienna
Originally scheduled for the German Embassy, the meeting moved to Schiller Park near the Academy of Fine Arts. There, a counter-demonstration took place outside the police barriers and became increasingly popular. Students stacked several stereo systems on top of each other at the entrance to the art academy and tried to drown out the Identitarian rally.
Discussion about deportation flights
The background to the rally was an incident in Germany last week. A 25-year-old man of Afghan descent attacked an Islam-critical event in Mannheim with a knife on Friday. He injured several people, including a 29-year-old police officer. He died on Sunday from his serious injuries. The case has sparked a debate in Germany about relaxing the ban on deportations to Afghanistan.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
