Tens of thousands of people protested in Vienna against the corona measures taken by the Austrian government. The country will go into lockdown on Monday. Chancellor Schallenberg apologized to the vaccinated for the drastic measure.

In Austria tens of thousands of people protested against the planned corona measures. A large protest march paralyzed large parts of the traffic in downtown Vienna. The police describe the mood as heated. Occasionally smoke bombs and fireworks were detonated and thrown at the emergency services. Bottles and cans also flew. About ten people had been arrested by afternoon. About 1,300 officers were on duty.

The participants, including right-wing extremists, criticized the lockdown that will apply from Monday and the corona imprint that will apply from 2022 as coercive measures. Again and again the demonstrators chanted “Freedom”, held up posters with the words “People’s Uprising Now”. The government has been accused of lying. They no longer serve the Austrian people. Many participants did not wear FFP2 masks and thus violated the requirements.

The organizer is right-wing populist FPÖ

The right-wing populist FPÖ had called for the largest protest event. Their own to Corona cook Herbert Kickl spoke up with a video message. In it he called for the broadest possible resistance. He had already sharply criticized the government’s strategy and spoke of a “dictatorship” in Austria.

Closure from Monday

In view of the sharp increase in corona infections in Austria, the government announced drastic measures on Friday: A new nationwide lockdown will come into force on Monday, which will also apply to vaccinated people and should last up to 20 days.

In addition, a mandatory vaccination will be introduced, everyone must be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by February 1st. Austria is the country in Europe that is taking such measures in view of the latest corona wave. With currently 65 percent, Austria has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the western EU countries. The seven-day incidence is currently 1050.

Federal President defends mandatory vaccination

Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen warned on Friday of a split in society. “There is a great risk that the trenches will now become even deeper. But we must not allow that,” he said in a televised address. The reactions should not be dominated by anger, pain and, but by the insight that only exit restrictions could break the massive fourth corona wave. The head of state also explicitly defended the mandatory vaccination announced by the government. Citizens have rights, but also obligations. This includes the duty to protect the community, said Van der Bellen.

“Unreasonable” for vaccinated people

Federal Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg Schläger im ORF The vaccinated to apologize for the lockdown: “I’m sorry to take this drastic step,” he said, referring to those “who have done everything right, who have vaccinated themselves, who wear the mask, who keep their distance and who went to freshen up “. That was an “imposition”, said Schallenberg.

With information from Clemens Verenkotte, ARD-Studio Vienna