A political controversy erupted in Austria following a large-scale celebration by Syrian immigrants in Vienna, marking the anticipated fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The event, initially planned as a solidarity rally, saw a turnout of approximately 30,000 participants, far exceeding the expected 3,000.
This unexpected surge in attendance led to a heated debate among Austrian politicians regarding the legality of the gathering. The right-wing Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) criticized the event, demanding the resignation of the Minister of the Interior. The FPÖ contrasted the freedom granted to this demonstration with the authorities’ decision to ban a protest they had supported the previous weekend, citing business and traffic concerns.
“While local residents are threatened with fines and water cannons for anti-government protests, a crowd of Syrians is allowed to march freely through the center of Vienna,” said the FPÖ’s Vienna leader.
Vienna police explained that the event’s organizers had adhered to the legal requirement of notifying authorities 48 hours in advance. Police spokeswoman Anna Gutt clarified, “Only due to the rapid development of events did the expected number of participants increase sharply at the last moment. The individual who registered the event is responsible for it but will not face any consequences if the actual number of participants exceeds the declared amount.”
Authorities also emphasized that the gathering, held on a Sunday, did not pose significant disruptions to traffic in the city center, unlike the banned protest from the previous Saturday.
Despite the peaceful nature of the demonstration, minor incidents were reported, including administrative violations for pyrotechnics and drone usage. Additionally, one individual faced criminal charges for attacking a journalist.
