Uninvolved Individuals Attacked in Vienna Subway After Demonstration by Far-Right Identitarians

The 24-year-old and his bandmate, who is two years younger, were reportedly on their way home from a band rehearsal when several far-right extremists and neo-Nazis boarded the train, shouting hate slogans. "A look was enough, and they came at us," reported the 24-year-old. During the ride, the two were racially and homophobically insulted before being beaten and kicked.

Police Unable to Find Attackers After Demonstration by Far-Right Identitarians in Vienna Subway

At Nestroyplatz, the two got off and fled from the attackers. They eventually called the police from a venue on Praterstraße. "I dialed 133, and no one came for half an hour," the 24-year-old told the "Standard". The police stated to the APA: "The colleagues were on site within a few minutes, but could not find the two." They may have also had telephone contact, but the two men were unable to accurately describe their location. Eventually, the two filed a report at a police station, according to the police's account. The victim contradicts this: "No one definitely called me back, and we were not at any station." The incident was reported to a police officer standing in front of a synagogue.

Investigations Underway After Attack Following Demonstration by Far-Right Identitarians in Vienna Subway

The two sustained zygomatic fractures, the 24-year-old also had a bruised jaw, and the 22-year-old a black eye. The video footage from the subway station was handed over to the police, from which they hope to gain insights into the perpetrators, according to the police to the APA. The accusation that the security personnel of Wiener Linien "escorted" the far-right extremists into the subway is denied: "The security staff were fulfilling their duty to ensure compliance with the transport conditions. They were not made aware of any assaults, neither personally nor via the emergency facilities."

More Than 200 Reports Against Counter-Demonstrators After Demonstration by Far-Right Identitarians

Around the Identitarian demonstration, in which a few hundred people, including some from abroad, participated, there were more than 200 reports and 56 arrests, the police reported the following day. These occurred during the dissolution of a total of three sit-in blockades, with which counter-demonstrators sought to prevent the far-right demonstration march through downtown Vienna. The Greens recently filed several factual reports against participants of the Identitarian demonstration. Several criminally relevant offenses - including violations of the Symbols Act and alleged incitement in the form of xenophobic slogans - were documented in pictures and videos. The Identitarian demonstration takes place annually in the summer in Vienna. According to the Documentation Archive of the Austrian Resistance, it is a "playground for right-wing extremists". Some FPÖ employees are also believed to have participated in the demonstration.

(APA/Red)

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