FPÖ calls for mass crowd after Corona-Knallhart-course: Up to 50,000 demonstrators expected in Vienna

In Austria, due to increasing corona numbers, a lockdown for everyone and a general vaccination requirement was decided.

Up to 50,000 demonstrators are now expected in Vienna.

Vienna - One bang in Austria is currently followed by the next.

It was only on Friday that the federal government decided on a lockdown of several weeks for everyone and a general vaccination requirement from February 2022.

Several corona demos have therefore been announced for Saturday, among others organized by the FPÖ party, which is skeptical of measures.

According to the news portal

, up to 50,000 people are expected in downtown Vienna.

Austria: Protests after tightening the Corona - 50,000 demonstrators expected in Vienna

The lockdown in Austria is expected to last until December 13th, and vaccination requirements, which according to Foreign Minister Maas will not exist in Germany, will follow around two months later. Reason enough for FPÖ boss Herbert Kickl to hold a “day of protest for freedom and human dignity,” as he writes on Facebook. The 53-year-old recently caused a stir when he recommended the horse deworming agent ivermectin for the treatment of Covid-19. He could not take part in the demo on Saturday himself because of his corona infection, but he called on all other Austrians to "resist peacefully" in order to "put the government down."

From 12 noon, the FPÖ will hold the demo between Heldenplatz and the Museumsquartier in Vienna.

According to

,

ex-FPÖ boss Heinz Christian Strache should also

take part.

In addition, the anti-vaccination party MFG is holding a demonstration from 1 p.m. from the Westbahnhof to the center.

In total, the Viennese police expect up to 50,000 participants, around 11 protests have been registered.

Corona demos in Austria: Up to 50,000 participants expected - concern about parliamentary session

According to the news portal, the authorities are reacting accordingly to the expected crowd and are deployed with 1,300 police officers from the various federal states.

The police could not cancel the demo "because participation in a meeting is an exception according to the Corona regulation." However, the mask requirement is strictly controlled, an official told

.

One pays particular attention to the parliament with great concern, in which the main committee of the National Council meets from 2 p.m. on the current pandemic situation.

Violence is already being incited in various Telegram groups.

“Set everything on fire!

It is enough, ”can be read, for example.

Mass demonstration against Corona measures in Austria: death threats against journalists

But not only the police are concerned about any escalation of the corona demos.

The Presseservice Wien, a network of freelance journalists, also reports on "threats up to serious violence and murder." These are directed against supposed political enemies, against the press itself and against itself as a network.

Tomorrow there will be a demonstration against the Corona measures in Vienna.

There are various calls for violence in advance.

Against supposed political enemies, against "the press" and also against us directly.

They range from threats to serious violence and murder.

# w2011 pic.twitter.com/uXNv1403PX

- Press Service Vienna (@PresseWien) November 19, 2021

The police are therefore preparing for the worst, according to

.

In addition, the Ministry of the Interior also expects right-wing extremists at the various Corona demos.

So it is going to be rather uncomfortable in downtown Vienna today.