Turkish right-wing extremists attacked a women’s rally on Reumannplatz in Favoriten on Wednesday night. The ultra-nationalist “gray wolves” regularly intimidate minorities. The self-proclaimed “Guardians of Favorites” are well organized. Among them are numerous young people born in Austria who only know the fascist movement from stories.
The mobile-controlled campaign, in which several hundred activists from the right-wing Turkish scene arrived in the 10th district within a very short time, was not a one-off event. The next day the same “game” again. Kurdish women demonstrate against the murder of activists, most recently ordered by a Turkish drone attack by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. A short time later there are hundreds, mostly men, who want to get the renegade women back on the right path via wolf salute and Erdogan chants.
The police have been on permanent alert since Wednesday evening. You even use helicopters. On the videos that are circulating on social media, you can see police officers “protecting” a public bus. Not a stone’s throw from it, activists who welcome the executive with a wolf-shaped hand, the wolf salute. Next to it are the residents of Favoritner, who look at the action from the windows of the neighboring apartments. Intimidated, but preventive that you should “deport everyone”.
It all started with a relatively small rally by Kurds. The participants wanted to point out the increasing number of feminicides in Turkey, but also in Austria. A short time later there was a fire on the roof. A police helicopter circled the 10th district from above, the executive moved out. The streets of Favoriten were on fire, fortunately only symbolically. Moods were heated, stones flew, window panes were broken. The activists fled to the nearby Ernst Kirchweger Haus (EKH), and the angry crowd stormed after them. Flagpoles were pulled out and used as weapons, the encircled women had to wait for hours in their refuge before the outraged mob finally withdrew.
Regular attacks
It was not the first attack that took place in favorites on Wednesday and Thursday. Similar incidents occurred on May 1 at the edge of a rally at Keplerplatz. The scheme is well known: The “Gray Wolves” see themselves as guardians and watchmen of Muslim morals, and in part they see themselves as hosts of the 10th district. Kurds, often discriminated against as supporters of the PKK, i.e. the Kurdish Workers’ Party, are regularly reported to the police as supporters of a terrorist organization.
The ideology, or rather the world view, of the “Gray Wolves”, which are well networked in Austria, is well known and can be subsumed in one word, namely Erdogan. Even though many of the angry counter-demonstrators now have Austrian citizenship, they have never stopped acting according to their great role model. People who refuse to follow the Turkish President in Favoriten, Vienna, Austria are mercilessly reported and persecuted.
What can be brought under control with an exclusive EU-wide right to vote is reinforced by the nationalistic behavior of the “new” home countries, including Austria. Those who, like a large number of young people with a migration background, do not experience sufficient social support, tend to join propaganda movements. The ubiquitous discrimination in Austria is therefore driving such developments. Of course, this does not necessarily mean that all Turkish young people immediately adopt fascist ideals, but unfortunately there are far too many. The offer is obviously too tempting: simple answers to complex problems.
But of course the problems of the Turkish community are not solved by intimidating the favorites of certain people on individual streets. A quick kick and it’s over again. But it obviously conveys so much self-confidence that you can get through it over the next few days. Young people of Turkish origin, Austrians since their birth, chant loudly at such gatherings and usually with a more perfect German than local Viennese, that they will always remain “foreigners”, but above all “Turks”. The executive and Austrian politics appear to be powerless against this hustle and bustle. Vice-Mayor Birgit Hebein (Greens) showed solidarity with the demonstrators on Thursday and condemned the procedure of the “Gray Wolves”. Is that enough?
Numerous advertisements
At least the Vienna police assured that all “wolf greetings” will be reported. But what does it help at the moment when young and old men proudly pat themselves on the chest and live out their aggressive inferiority complexes undamaged? None of those who, supported by the masses and feeling safe, were drawn to fascist statements and gestures were instantly overwhelmed and led away. The police stand by and watch. That is what matters. And that is what also strengthens such movements.
Contrary to any Muslim tradition, women are scorned, hunted and persecuted. It is not accepted that the freedoms that a democracy like Austria provides and that every one of the counter-demonstrators presumably claims for themselves also apply to women, and especially apply to Kurdish women.
Even if it sounds trite, it takes courageous action against men’s societies like this. It takes courageous action against all forms of racism, which usually goes hand in hand with sexism. And regardless of which corner such requests come from. The Vienna city government is required to put an end to this hustle and bustle before populist currents take on the cause.
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