• Activists gather in the capital, Vienna, to protest against surging prices.
Thousands of people poured into the streets of Vienna on Saturday, protesting against the soaring cost of living. An estimated 3,000 people took part in the rally, as reported by the Heute newspaper, citing the city police force.
Another gathering, dubbed the “patriots’ march,” also took place in downtown Vienna. There was a heavy security presence along the routes, and both events passed without incident.
The protesters accused the Austrian government of failing its own people and working in the interests of “globalists.” Some activists denounced mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations, but the dominant theme on Saturday was skyrocketing energy prices, and the inflationary crisis.
The activists went on to commemorate the “victims of vaccination” during both rallies.
Last Saturday, some 70,000 turned out for a march in the Czech capital, Prague. Demonstrators demanded that the government secure direct contracts with gas suppliers, to get ballooning energy prices down.