Socialist Action /March 2000
Mass Protests Denounce Ultra-Right Coalition in Austria
At the beginning of February, the traditional conservative party in
Austria formed a coalition with an ultraright , antiforeigner, populist
party with features reminiscent of fascism, the Freedom Party of Jörg
Haider. It got 25 percent of the vote in the past election.
The formation of the right-ultraright government set off alarm bells
throughout Europe and provoked a vast protest movement in Austria. The following
article by our Austrian Fourth International comrades describes the development
of these actions.
VIENNA-The Feb. 19 demonstration against the "Black and Blue"
government has been the high point so far of the protest movement. About
300,000 people took part in the march and concluding rally.
The action was called by the left-liberal committees of personalities,
SOS-Fellow Men" and "Democratic Offensive," as well as by
the Action Committee of left organizations, the Greens, and Social Democratic
organizations such as the unions.
"Down with the Black and Blues" is a slogan you hear more and
more in Vienna. Up until the big Feb. 19 demonstration, 3000 to 8000 people
marched daily through Vienna. On Feb. 18, there was a high school student
strike in Vienna. About 10,000 high school students marched through the
downtown area.
On the morning of Feb. 19, small groups began demonstrating, such as
women and lesbians. Klaus Bachler, director of the Vienna Civic Theater,
opened this establishment to the protest demonstration.
In the early afternoon, various demonstrations formed around Vienna.
There was rally of about 20,000 people, including Social Democratic trade
unionists from Austria, trade-union delegates from Belgium, the youth organization
of the Italian Party of the Democratic Left [successor of the Euro-Communist
wing of the CP], a delegation from Communist Refoundation [successor of
the left wing of the Italian CP], comrades from Fourth International sections
such as the Revolutionary Communist League of Germany, and Austrian youth
groups.
At the opening rally, our French comrade and European parliament member
Alain Krivine warned about the hypocrisy of the European right-wing parties
that now represent themselves as antifascist. That evening 300,000 people
marched in Heroes Square-where in 1938 Hitler proclaimed the annexation
of Austria to the Reich- to protest against the right-wing government.
The head of the "Black and Blue" government, Wolfgang Schüssel,
tried to belittle the demonstration. He talked about a last gasp of the
old left of 1968 and of the "Internet generation." However, the
organizers of the protests decided to demonstrate one day a week, on the
model of the protests that brought down the East German government.
The Freedom Party general secretary, Peter Westenthaler, focused his
assault on the Social Democratic Party and trade unionists, accusing them
of taking the dispute onto the streets and demonstrating shoulder to shoulder
with radical leftists and Communists from all over Europe.
Jörg Haider, the leader of the Freedom Party, the focus of the protests,
had to lead an agitated life. On the evening of the Feb. 19 demonstrations,
he was recognized in an Italian restaurant, and had to flee under police
guard.
He did not dare put in an appearance at the European Union regional conference.
He flew to Canada, letting it be known that he had "more important
business" to attend to. In fact, he took a personal vacation to get
away from the demonstrations.
The new coalition government tried to go back to a day-to-day routine,
but without success. At the meeting of EU social ministers in Lisbon, the
Freedom Party social minister was demonstratively ignored by his colleagues,
which Austrian TV lamented.
Socialist Action /March 2000 |