Little congestion, a lot of excitement

On the last day of their campaign week, the area around Vienna’s Naschmarkt in the area of ​​the Secession was blocked. Twelve participants glued themselves to the lanes of the Getreidemarkt, Friedrichstraße and the Rechte Wienzeile. Police cleared the streets just before 9:15 a.m.

All activists were arrested and taken away by the police, said Florian Wagner, spokesman for the “Last Generation”, on request. The executive confirmed that figure around noon. Shortly after 8 a.m., a meter-high yellow X was erected at the otherwise busy intersection – a sign of solidarity with Lützerath, a German village that is to make way for lignite mining. A brass band in orange safety vests provided entertainment, the spokesman for the “Last Generation” reported. The question was asked of the government: “Where is your climate plan?” – More on that in wien.ORF.at.

Angry drivers

There were no major traffic jams in the morning traffic, which was quite quiet for a Friday, said ÖAMTC spokesman Marc Römer on request. Nevertheless, the action again caused corresponding emotions among the stopped drivers. Martha Krumpeck, co-founder of “Last Generation”, is said to have been spat on.

A restaurateur, who said he wanted to visit his daughter with cancer in the hospital, insulted the climate demonstrators and tried to push some aside to allow another car to drive through. On Wednesday, an aggressive road user had attacked the activists sitting on the ground and pulled them off the road. The police filed a complaint against an unknown person.

support from science

On Monday, the activists blocked the lanes in front of school buildings in Burggasse, Gymnasiumstrasse and Roßauer Lände – more on that in wien.ORF.at.

On Tuesday there was a blockade action at the Praterstern. Around 50 renowned scientists showed their solidarity with the activists and supported the concerns of the “last generation”, who, among other things, are demanding 100 km/h on the motorways – more on this at wien.ORF.at. On Wednesday, traffic on the Wiener Gurtel was stopped at Westbahnhof. On Thursday, the Schüttelstrasse was the scene of a protest.

Disruption of everyday life “important for protest”

Meanwhile, the activists of the “last generation” are growing rapidly. According to the spokesman, around 150 people have filled out a contact form on the NGO’s website in the past few days and expressed their willingness to actively support the campaign. “The movement has doubled,” Wagner said. For February he announced a new one-week “wave” in the federal capital.

Another activist admitted in the “Standard” interview that they scare people away with the actions at first: “Of course we know that our actions can generate anger at first. (…) We are also sorry for this anger – but the disruption of everyday life is immensely important for the protest.” He believes that this will nevertheless bring the issue of climate protection more into the public debate.

Debate on tougher penalties

However, the political discourse of the past few days has not revolved around 100 km/h on the motorway, as desired by the “last generation”, but rather how to deal with protest actions. The impetus was provided by the provincial governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner (ÖVP), who was in the Lower Austrian state election campaign and called for tougher penalties: it was emphasized that an administrative violation should become a criminal offense based on the German model. The country’s constitutional service has been tasked with preparing a draft law, which will then be submitted to the Ministry of Justice.

This was followed by the Tyrolean governor Anton Mattle (ÖVP). Harder penalties are “to be discussed,” said Mattle in the APA interview. If emergency organizations no longer had the chance to come to emergencies because of the blockades, then he was “definitely in favor of a sharp path”. Neither in Lower Austria nor in Tyrol have climate blockades of the “last generation” taken place.

Nehammer wants to check

On Friday, Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) also spoke up: “Today I commissioned Interior Minister Gerhard Karner to provide me with a report on how the executive’s work this week in dealing with the climate adhesive campaigns worked. And to check whether the existing legal and operational regulations are sufficient or whether further tightening is needed.”

With all understanding for the concern of climate protection, the methods of the activists are not to be tolerated. “Anyone who accepts damage to property, who endangers the safety and health of people by manipulating vehicles, who willfully accepts hours of traffic jams and delays, is sabotaging our social coexistence and is thereby putting himself above the applicable rules that apply to everyone,” he said the head of government.

“Last Generation”: No tampering with cars

Vienna’s ÖVP state party chairman, City Councilor Karl Mahrer, also spoke up: “People who block rescue operations or endanger the lives of others by loosening wheel nuts are not climate activists, but simply criminals and abuse fundamental democratic rights.”

However: The “last generation” distances itself from actions such as manipulating cars. The group also said it does not practice deflating tires on SUVs. Those are other groups. Cases of rescue workers being disabled by traffic jams have not been reported in Austria to date. A cyclist died in Berlin at the end of October. It has not been clarified whether she could actually have been saved if a special vehicle from the fire brigade had not been stopped for her rescue – but it is doubted.

The FPÖ is also calling for action

FPÖ chairman Herbert Kickl also called for measures to be taken by the Chancellor: “It cannot be that these extremists paralyze traffic and have almost no fear of consequences.” People’s mood was becoming increasingly heated in view of the large number of blockades. Action must therefore be taken now before escalation occurs on the street.

Green boss Werner Kogler said this week about the blockades that the motives were “serious and important”, but the forms of action had to be assessed “on a case-by-case basis”.

Criminal law experts against tightening

In any case, criminal law experts are skeptical as to whether stricter rules are needed: It is about “cause legislation” that is “legally not well thought out”. Alois Birklbauer, professor of criminal law at the Johannes Kepler University in Linz, already saw legal action in the event that “rescue workers are disabled and people are injured”. Offenses such as negligent bodily harm could be considered. Willful crimes such as bodily harm are also conceivable.

According to Ingeborg Zerbes, professor of criminal law at the University of Vienna, the proposed regulation will not be used in Germany in the event of climate blockades. “The criminal offense is quite narrow and hardly applicable to climate adhesives,” the lawyer explained to the “Standard”. The facts of the case only come into question if people – for example in the case of wrong-way trips – are exposed to a very specific danger to life and limb, added Klaus Schwaighofer, professor of criminal law at the University of Innsbruck.

Clear rejection of the penal demands came from the Federal Rescue Commander of the Red Cross, Gerry Foitik. He addressed politicians via social media: “Please do not continue to use us and medical emergencies to criminalize those who stand up for strong climate protection and violate the provisions of the Road Traffic Regulations for this. Your answer should be dialogue and discourse.” The emergency services are often slowed down by traffic jams or inconsiderate road users. “We are used to that and therefore do not immediately demand prison sentences for those responsible; not even in affect. Thanks.”