After climate activists blocked important traffic routes in Austria, the situation escalated in some places. Drivers became aggressive. In Tyrol, an activist burst into tears when removing the adhesive.
Over the Pentecost weekend, several federal states in Austria experienced a wave of protests, which caused traffic disruptions on motorways, border crossings and mountain passes, among other things. The activists from the “Last Generation” group brought traffic to a standstill with their sit-ins and sometimes sticking to the roads.
The Pyhrnautobahn near Hügel, the Tauernautobahn near Salzburg, as well as the transit borders towards Switzerland in Lustenau and Hohenems and the Fernpass in Tyrol were affected.
In the federal state of Vorarlberg, the situation between demonstrators and road users came to a head when drivers tried to remove the protesters from the road on their own. In one dramatic moment, a car even hit one of the demonstrators, as the “Kleine Zeitung” reports.
The police eventually broke up the blockades and removed the activists from the streets. Three demonstrators were slightly injured. There was also a brief arrest.
The activist group criticized what they saw as the officers’ intervention, which was too harsh, particularly in an incident in Tyrol where, according to their statements, the protesters were not released from the road “as painlessly as possible”. “We expose ourselves to this and the violence of the street that is coming towards us and react completely passively and peacefully,” said the group on social media.
“heute.at” also reported on the intensity of the protest, during which an activist burst into tears while detaching herself from the asphalt. Her pain was documented in a video in which the officer tried to calm her down. After the adhesive solution took effect and she was freed, the police officer asked her to sit on the side of the road, which she tearfully refused.
Despite the physical and emotional strain, the activists of the “Last Generation” were combative and announced that they would not let up until their demands, such as the inclusion of climate protection in the Austrian constitution, were met.
According to “heute.at”, a 21-year-old activist named Helena shared her reasons: “I would rather spend a nice Pentecost weekend with my family. But I have no other choice – global developments scare me beyond belief. I can no longer ignore reality.” She pointed to devastating events such as forest fires, deaths and hunger strikes that underpinned her decision to continue protesting.
16-year-old Sophie actually just wanted to celebrate her prom with her friends, but the student was excluded from the event. Because she came in a suit instead of an evening dress.
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