Austria Comes to a Standstill: Minute of Silence Held After Rampage at Graz School

A day after the rampage at a Graz school with eleven dead, a nationwide minute of silence was held in Austria on Wednesday at 10:00 AM. Local churches participated with mourning bells, and in Vienna, the mourning bell of St. Stephen's Cathedral, the "Halbpummerin," was rung, with people pausing on the streets. The ORF interrupted its TV and radio programs, and the Vienna public transport stopped around 900 vehicles for a minute. A minute of mourning was also held at the beginning of the cabinet meeting.

No decisions and no media appearances at the cabinet meeting in Vienna

The federal government did meet for the cabinet meeting, but the planned decisions were postponed, and there were no media statements. After the bloodshed, in which a 21-year-old former student of the upper secondary school Dreierschützengasse killed ten people and himself, the government had already declared a three-day national mourning. Black flags were hoisted, and the Austrian flag was flown at half-mast on all public buildings.

Church services in Graz on Tuesday evening

Already on Tuesday evening, a memorial service was held in the Graz Cathedral. The federal government and the Styrian state government leaders, as well as representatives of the city, attended. There was also a service in the school district church St. Vincent near the crime scene. The Islamic Religious Community in Austria (IGGÖ) commemorated the victims in the Styrian mosques following the daily evening prayer. After 9:00 PM, hundreds of people gathered at the main square in Graz for a sea of lights. They lit candles in front of the Archduke Johann Fountain.

All of Austria commemorates the victims in Graz today

According to a broadcast, ORF participated in the minute of mourning on ORF 1, ORF 2, ORF III, and ORF SPORT+ and displayed "Austria mourns - In memory of the victims of the rampage in Graz" in its program. The ORF radios broadcast "a moment of silence for the victims of the rampage in Graz and their relatives."

The Vienna public transport also joined the minute of silence. Around 900 vehicles in service were to stop for exactly one minute, as stated in a previous announcement. The minute of mourning was also announced via loudspeaker.

During the minute of mourning, people paused under cloudy skies on the St. Pölten town hall square. Before and after, the rampage in Graz was naturally the main topic in the numerous coffee houses. Meanwhile, a larger group of students distracted themselves from the events with a city tour.

In some cases, the church bells only began to ring after the minute of mourning - at 10:01 a.m. - for example in Vorarlberg, reported Kathpress in advance. The local churches are setting a "sign of mourning and solidarity with the victims of the rampage and their relatives," it was said.

Emotional Scenes in Front of BORG Dreierschützengasse

In front of the upper secondary school in Grazer Dreierschützengasse, the four Styrian ÖVP government members, led by Deputy Governor Manuela Khom, lit candles. People broke into tears. Students came in groups with their supervisors from the crisis intervention center set up in the Helmut-List-Halle to the closed school and cried together while also lighting candles.

Sea of Lights Announced at Vienna's Stephansplatz

Meanwhile, Caritas and the Young Church called for a sea of lights at Vienna's Stephansplatz on (today's) Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. to commemorate the victims. From 5:00 p.m., there will be a commemoration in St. Stephen's Cathedral.

ÖFB Players with Mourning Armbands in San Marino

Already on Tuesday evening, the Austrian national football team held a minute of silence before the World Cup qualifying match in San Marino, along with the opposing team and spectators in Serravalle. The ÖFB team players also wore mourning armbands on their arms.

National Security Council Convened After Rampage in Graz

The National Security Council was already convened on Tuesday and will meet on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. in Parliament. It is an advisory body of the federal government on matters of foreign, security, and defense policy. The National Security Council consists of the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Foreign Minister, Interior Minister, Defense and Justice Minister, as well as representatives of the parties represented in the main committee of the National Council. Additionally, representatives of the Presidential Chancellery or the Conference of Provincial Governors, the Secretary-General in the Foreign Office, the Chief of General Staff, the Director General for Public Security, and other officials are available for consultation.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.