News from Vienna / "Democrats" break away from radicals

["Kurt Lhotzky" <k.lhotzky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

12:05 CET, Vienna

Dear Comrades,

the police just published a first balance of the riots last night: 40
policemen injured, 13 (!) protesters injured, 139 pieces of uniform torn or
damaged (!?!), "several polica vehicles damaged".

As a reaction, SOS Mitmensch, an alliance of democrats, socialdemocrats and
left-liberals called off the demonstration which was announced for today to
"calm down the situation" and postponed all demonstartions under it´s name
up to the 19. february [!!!]. The speaker of SOS Mitmensch labelled the
protesters who confronted the police yersterday as "madmen, crazy and
irresponsibe": So far as to the "democratic" resistance against the
black/blue capitalist government.

Of course, the leftist groups (including the Youth organizations of the SP)
will gather at 17.00 CET at the Heldenplatz next to the residence of the
Austrian President and the seat of the chancellor. The police announced
already a "intransingent stand against law-breakers" - seems to become
funny...

It is evident, that the movement is now splitting in the leftists and
frightened bourgeois and petty-bourgeois "democrats" who try to channel the
whole movement in legalist and parliamentary actions. We will see in some
four hours, if there are still trade unionists at the Heldenplatz, and we
will see up from monday how the mood is in the factories and shops.

The organization I belong to will again distribute today our leaflet which
was already massivley distributed yesterday and the day before: Class
Struggle to bring down the black/blue capitalist government!

Kurt

More news this evening!