The protesters shouted “freedom” and held up posters and flags.
1,300 police officers were also present, but kept a low profile, and the demonstration has gone peacefully.
– There are no incidents worth mentioning so far, a spokesman for the police said on Saturday afternoon. The person in question added that more people will probably join the demonstration throughout the day.
Shuts down the country
Large demonstrations were expected in advance in Austria after Prime Minister Alexander Schallenberg announced the strict coronation measures on Friday.
– VACCINE REFUSAL: The protesters do not want a mandatory vaccine Photo: Lisa Leutner
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The Freedom Party (FPOe) on the far right has asked people to demonstrate, and party leader Herbert Kickl, who is infected with the coronavirus, believes Austria is on its way to becoming a dictatorship.
Schallenberg announced on Friday that the country is closing down again as a result of very high infection rates. From February, it will also be mandatory to take the coronary vaccine.
Low vaccination rate
The shutdown starts on Monday. While there has already been a separate system of closure for the unvaccinated, this also applies to the vaccinated. It will initially last for ten days, but can be extended for another ten days.
It is also mandatory to use FFP2-classified face masks indoors.
About 65 percent of the country’s population is fully vaccinated. The vaccination rate is among the lowest in Western Europe. On Thursday, for the first time, more than 15,000 cases of infection were registered in the country with around 9 million inhabitants.
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