News from Vienna / New mass demonstration in Vienna

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

21:15 CET, Vienna

Dear comrades -

in spite of the attempts of the petty-bourgeois organization SOS Mitmensch
to cancel the demonstration which was announced for today, at 17.00 CET some
4.000 - 5.000 people gathered at the Ballhausplatz in front of the seat of
the Federal President. The place was largely dominated by red flags and
banners reading "Resistance", "Down with the FPÖVP government", "No
coalition with racism".
At about 17:15, the demonstrators started to cross the city and turned to
the FPÖ Head Office at Kärntner Straße. On the way, more people joined the
march, and (its hardly to say) about 6.000 people finally held a rally in
front of the FPÖ premises. There was a heavy contingent of anti-riot police
their; after some minor scuffles, the protesters left the center of Vienna
and started for the first time a march through working-class districts.
There, youth, especially from turkish and yugoslav families, joined the
march. Now, some 8.000 to 10.000 people are again in the city and rallye in
front of the parliament. There were no clasches up to now.

Impressions: In spite of the well-known illegality of the actions, the
spirits are high, people are in best mood, there is a very optimistic and
militant feeling. The participation of youth from "Gastarbeiter" (immigramt)
families brought a very positive and vivid element in the protests. The
ruling circles react more and more hysterical. The leader of the Viennese
FPÖ, Hilmar Kabas (who was designated Minister of Defense but rejected by
President Klestil because of his xenophobic electoral campaign) warned in an
interview that "violent left terrorists, backed by the Socialdemocrats and
the Greens[!!!]" want to destabilize the country... Schüssel anf Haider
issued an appeal for "fairness" - a strange word from their mouthes!

More news later


Kurt