Police and City of Vienna criminalize protest against the extreme-right WKR-Ball (dancing event of the 'Wiener Korporationsring'/Vienna umbrella organization of German-nationalist student's organizations)! Above all, the Vienna police banned an anti-fascist demonstration on the day of the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp. On January 29th the ball of the 'Wiener Korporationsring' (WKR) is taking place in the Viennese 'Hofburg', the former imperial palace. Like in the past years numerous proponents of the extreme right will rendezvous there from german-nationalists to virulent anti-Semites, no one wants to miss that chance for right-wing networking. While these activities are not hindered by the authorities in any way, the anti-fascist counter- demonstration was now banned.
At the WKR-ball the 'Who is Who' of the European extreme-right is shaking hands, which is easily revealed by a look on the list of participants: former and current guests at the ball include(d): Jean-Marie Le Pen from the French Front National, the fascist Enrique Ravello, anti-Semites like Alexander Dugin and representatives of the German extreme-right DVU, as well as spokespersons of the Austrian extreme-right parties, among them Martin Graf, third president of the National Council with a tendency to anti-semitic tirades, Barbara Rosenkranz, exponent of a home-stove-'mother's cross' policy and fighter against the 'gender-delusion' and John Gudenus, who has already been sentenced to one year on parole because of Holocaust-denial. It seems to go without saying that there are protests against this gathering. In the last years sizeable demonstrations have already been taking place typically for Austria these have been accompanied by a repressively huge contingent of police and a ban from the premises of the WKR-gathering. But even that seems to be too much disturbance now. The demonstration, which this year had been planned by the alliance nowkr, queer-feminists, the criticalmass, feminist womenlesbian groups, a number of students' representatives and many other groups, was now completely banned. The reason given by the police is telling: because of the group of people expected to attend the demonstration 'public security' would be endangered an argument, which equals a total negation of the right to demonstrate.
In that the authorities in scandalous manner follow the 'arguments' from German-nationalist students' associations, the FPÃ ('Freedom Party') and neo-Nazis, who for years have been lobbying for a complete ban of anti-fascist demonstrations or would rather like to take self-administered justice. A notorious neo-Nazi website stated in an entry called 'Tips for House and Home This Time Weapons' that it would be on time to 'question the state's monopoly on violence', just to dedicate their next entry to agitate against 'Entartete' - a nazi-term meaning 'degenerated', in this context denouncing queer-feminists and the 'sub-human filth'. Above all it is the city of Vienna, which personified by its mayor Michael Haupl likes to present itself as an anti-fascist stronghold against the rise of the extreme right, that now together with the police serves in fulfilling right-wing extremists' dreams. This fact tells more about the state of this country than any number of leaflets could. It is only fitting that the ban was announced right on the Holocaust Memorial Day when official representatives of the republic show themselves to be deeply moved. While the importance of anti-fascist engagement is stressed in official settings, actual antifascist activism is banned and neo-Nazis, right wing extremists and anti-Semites are offered room at the 'Hofburg', which after all is also the official residence of the Austrian president.
Even if these developments show their face more clearly in Austria than in other countries, they do follow a disastrous international trend. Anti-fascism is criminalized all over Europe: Only recently the demonstration against the largest neo-Nazi march in Europe has been criminalized in Germany, posters were confiscated, websites blocked and more repression against the organizers of the anti-fascist demonstration followed. All these developments have to be countered resolutely. We won't let
anti-fascism be banned! Therefore: Everyone to the demonstration against the extreme-right WKR-ball!
Origianly posted by Rosa Antifa Wien
