Today the Far-Right "academics/fraternities" ball takes place in Vienna

[Tender Branson]

Big protests are basically guaranteed when the FPÖ-people invite their European Far-Right friends into the Hofburg for some waltz and dancing.



Buses from Germany with violent left-wing extremists will come to Vienna and the German extremists are probably turning this into a big riot (see Hamburg), with many police officers likely to be wounded.

The Vienna police (2000-5000 will be at the Hofburg tomorrow) has ordered a facial veil ban in several inner-city districts to make it easier to identify the extremists.

2 years ago, the left-wing extremists attacked Far-Right ball visitors with bottles, shouted "Nazis Out !" and "We will get you all !".

FPÖ-leader Strache said because of these attacks: "We are the new Jews !"

A video of the demos in 2012:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjQQ6Mupgro

http://kurier.at/chronik/wien/akademikerball-vermummen-verboten/47.471.960

I'll keep you updated about the developments and possible riots.

[Tender Branson]

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[Tender Branson]

I hope the police stay safe as they seem to be the only group involved not made up entirely of assholes.  Majority asshole probably, but not entirely.

It depends how many of the German extremists make it to Vienna: The article mentions that (even though the Austrian-German borders are open of course due to Schengen) the LVT (State Agency for the Protection of the Constitution and Counter-Terrorism) will try to stop the buses before they enter Vienna, search them for banned stuff like weapons and if they find something escort them back to the Austrian-German border. Of course, the article also mentions that the German extremists are unlikely to be stupid and bring the weapons with them in their buses: They will rather get them from their Austrian co-extremists when they arrive in the city.

[Tender Branson]

An excerpt from a major Israel newspaper from the protests 2 years ago:

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[Tender Branson]

And Austria is about to put the maniacs in 1st place in a few months...

I won't. I will vote for the Greens.

(I should actually vote for the SPÖ or ÖVP, so that they have a chance for 1st place, but they are making it so damn hard for me ... )

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=170930.msg4027923#msg4027923

[Tender Branson]

A fitting image from the demo last year:

[Tender Branson]

Update:

The police has now issued a far-reaching "area-ban" around the Hofburg, meaning that the Hofburg will be completely sealed off by police forces and no demonstration will be allowed at the big Heldenplatz in front of the Hofburg and no journalists being allowed there either.

The last time this has happened was in 2006 when President Bush visited Vienna.

The police wants no violence at the Hofburg, like in the previous years, and has offered the leftist demo-groups several other places to hold a demo. But the leftists groups and the union of journalists have said they are opposed to this. The journalist union even said that a demo ban is similar to "the situation in the Ukraine" ...

http://kurier.at/chronik/wien/akademikerball-scharfe-kritik-an-polizei/47.678.556

[Tender Branson]

The journalist union needs to be infracted for excessive hyperbole.

No, they are just fighting for their right to a good story, and well-paying photos.

The police has now changed their security plan in favour of the journalists:

All accredited journalists with a valid journalist license, who want to cover the FPÖ-ball tonight from inside the Hofburg, will be granted access to the Hofburg in a 30 minute timespan from 8:15 pm to 8:45pm. The journalists can then stay inside as long as they want.

The journalist union is still calling it "censorship" though ...

http://derstandard.at/1389858078917/Polizei-rechnet-mit-tausenden-Demonstranten-gegen-Akademikerball

[Tender Branson]

This is a comparison of the "no-go-area" for today and the last time it was implemented (in 2006, when President Bush visited Vienna):



The area that gets closed off for the public starting at 4:30 pm is actually bigger than 8 years ago during the Bush visit.

The only major difference is that in 2006 there was also a no-fly zone over Vienna during the Bush-visit, which is not the case today.

[Tender Branson]

Both the German and the Austrian police is currently stopping and searching buses with German left-wing activists (via Twitter):





The German police is the green one.

[Tender Branson]

3 demonstrations will be held tonight in different locations of the city.

Only one is projected to end before the police (or clash with them):



About 10.000 protestors are expected today.

[Tender Branson]

Looks like a potential trick play.  Get the police focused upon group 2 and then once groups 1 and 3 join up have them rush the zone from the other side.  Why have the police spread themselves out with the streets to the east?  Are they trying to protect ball goers or shop owners?

I'm not sure, but protecting the Far-Right ball visitors and shops in this area is certainly one of their goals.

The ball will be attended by about 2000 people, who will come to the Hofburg in slightly over an hour from now.

The 3 demo groups have already started and each have about 3000 people so far.

No reports about violence so far.

Some pics:

[Tender Branson]

Now the "party" starts:

The first Far-Right ball visitors are soon arriving.

According to Twitter, the "prohibited zone" has been broken by the 2nd and biggest demo group and the police is summoning at the Opera House.

Water cannon vehicles are being deployed.

The next hours could be interesting.

[Tender Branson]

The police is now tear-gassing the leftists at the Opera.

[Tender Branson]

revolution-news.com has an English live-ticker:

http://revolution-news.com/nowkr-ticker-english

18:23 no-WKR Demonstrations arrives at Morzinplatz to make a short Rally.
1824 Entry to Rotenturmstraße Stephansplatz is closed with Police Cars and Fences. Policecars in Rotenturm are unmanned.
18:32 International Block is between Ring st and Oper Theatre
18:35 Massive police operation at Burgtheater
18:38 Blankgasse - Martin Graf is driving now through Blankgasse, which is closed.
Everywhere in the city there are small Blockades.
18:44 Water Canon arrived at Albertina, attention police are heavily armed!
18:48 NOWKR – skirmishes at OPER with Pepper Spray, Demonstrators retreated.

[Tender Branson]

A flyer from one of the demo groups:

[Tender Branson]

The police has now asked the WEGA to help them out, apparently !

The WEGA is the Vienna SWAT force.

https://twitter.com/ischa/status/426775682350583808

[Tender Branson]

Interesting tweet:

Local Vienna residents are throwing down eggs at the left-wing protestors from their apartments.

[Tender Branson]

First shops get thrashed:



http://www.vienna.at/live-rund-um-den-akademikerball-2014/3838396

[Tender Branson]

Whoah, watch this:

http://bambuser.com/v/4295630

Attack of taxis with Far-Right ball visitors by Left-Wingers 5 minutes ago.

[Tender Branson]

Now police cars get trashed:

[Tender Branson]

It seems the demonstrators don't give a f**k about the facial veil ban and the "no-go-zone" that the police ordered yesterday:

[Tender Branson]

Live stream:

http://wientv.org/live

[Tender Branson]

Looks like the police has it under control so far.

But they needed to tear gas and arrest a few of the demonstrators, who then went back to do a sit-in.

[Tender Branson]

Well, no surprise it happens when the police is obviously favoring the neo-fascists.

Huh?

The police is putting a perimeter to protect them, even from journalists!

Well, in many respects the journalists are worse than the protestors when it comes to an event like this.

But neither the protesters or the journalists are the worst. Those racist, nationalists and fascists in the middle, protected by an allied police force are the worse.

But they didn't hijack the Hofburg; they've paid their fees to use the palace as a venue for a ball. They're not the ones trying to break the law in cold blood. You're deluded and your argument is a farce.

Their presence is causing riots, therefore the ball is a threat to the public safety.

Are you trying to be the krazen of the left?

No, but the fact it's Austria and than the mainstream political party aren't willing to do against it is very worrying. Must we wait than they seize power and do another genocide before doing something about them?

I actually agree with you that it's a shame that a ball like this is still able to be held in Vienna.

But on the other hand the government parties are unable to do much against it: The Hofburg event agency is a private company and if the Far-Right fraternities pay them well for holding this event (which they probably do, considering the size of it), the SPÖ and ÖVP can only appeal to the event agency to scrap it. But not forbid it.

Anyway, an overview of yesterday night:

* 20 demonstrators injured, 5 police forces injured - all of them slightly (tear gas and bruises)
* about 80 arrests
* 1 Mio. € or more in damages (mostly shops and cars trashed)
* 20 police cars thrashed
* 1 police station severely damaged by rioters