Offensive against the right
The Offensive Against Right (OgR) is an anti-fascist alliance in Austria , which uses civil disobedience to oppose right-wing extremism , “reactionary images of society”, sexism and racism . The sponsors are mainly youth and student organizations, as well as a number of artists. The Viennese corporation ring , other striking connections and the Austrian Pegida movement, against whose events the OgR organized demonstrations and sit-in blockades , are primarily criticized .
Self-image and consensus
The offensive against the right is a split from the NOWKR alliance and was launched at the end of 2011. The following "Alliance self-understanding" is available in an updated version from October 2014:
“The offensive against the right is a broad, anti-fascist alliance. We see ourselves as an active and continuously working actor in consistent anti-fascism. As part of the neoliberal restructuring of society and the Troika crisis regime, (neo-) fascism, right-wing extremism, reactionary images of society, sexism, racism, antiziganism, anti-Semitism, homophobia and transphobia are experiencing new heights across Europe. In order to counter these developments, over 40 organizations have come together on the offensive against the right since 2011. Because together we can achieve more. We strive for diverse protests, the aim of which is to involve as many people as possible and to take effective action against old and new rights, the FPÖ, German national fraternities, neo-Nazis and other right-wing extremist activities. For this we want u. a. establish the means of civil disobedience. "
The consensus of the alliance is the endeavor to “fight fascism, right-wing extremism and other rights and their marches” and “prevent blockades” by means of “broad, colorful, creative”. For this, the activists use their bodies as a means of civil disobedience , but also emphasize: “We are not going to escalate.” The actions of the offensive against the right should be “transparent and open to everyone”, including the blockade training organized by the alliance.
Support organizations
The network platform is supported by the following institutions:
Some organizers were also able to motivate a number of their sub-and preliminary organizations to support the platform, for example, in addition to the PdA , the Communist Youth of Austria , the Communist Student Association and the Communist Trade Union Initiative - International (KomIntern), in addition to the AKS and the KZ- Association also their national organizations in Vienna, in addition to Transform Europe also Transform Austria . In addition to the SJÖ , its regional organizations SJ-Niederösterreich, SJ-Vorarlberg and SJ-Wien also participate in the OgR. The VSStÖ also mobilized its local organizations in Leoben and Vienna .
Other carriers are the anti Capitalista initiative , the Young Left and the Left university network , the Cultural Association Nâzım Hikmet , the precarious Café , the initiative Young Struggle , the New Democratic Youth (YDG) and the Association of Students from Kurdistan (YXK). The Autonome Antifa (W) left the platform before the OgR's first demonstration.
Art against right
The OgR is also supported by a number of artists, especially musicians and cabaret artists - including atomique , B-Seiten Sound , Christoph & Lollo , Hörspiel Crew , I-Wolf von den Sofa Surfers , Klaim , Kommando Elefant , Mono & Nikitaman and the who the what the yeah .
Austria-wide networking
The offensive against right strives for an Austria-wide presence and is closely networked and coordinated with the following initiatives: with Braunau against right and with Innsbruck against fascism , with the Linz against right initiative , which networks more than 60 institutions and demonstrates against the Linz Boys' League, as well as the offensive against right-wing Styria , which successfully demonstrated against the Graz Academic Ball for the first time in January 2015 and was able to mobilize around 1,000 participants. The motto of the campaign was: "Carnival instead of fascism - prevent the Graz fraternity ball".
Demonstrations and sit-ins
The offensive against the right is present on Facebook and networks its actions via blogs and SMS.
Anti-WKR and academics ball demonstrations
In 2012, the OgR demonstrated against the last WKR ball in the Vienna Hofburg , which was attended by right-wing extremists for years , and in 2013 and 2014 against the unofficial follow-up event, the FPÖ's Academic Ball . In 2015, a demonstration from the Schottentor to Stephansplatz and three sit-ins against the ball guests were carried out at three locations.
Counter rally against the identities
In May 2014, the OgR organized a counter-demonstration on the march of the Identity Movement on Vienna's Mariahilfer Strasse . The OgR mobilized 400 participants, 100 people took part in the procession of the identities. There were violent clashes between the two groups. The ORF reported on its Internet platform: “The police reported attacks on their forces by the left-wing counter-demonstrators. Two police cars were damaged with paint bags and bottles. [...] Participants in the demonstration, on the other hand, report police violence on social media. In any case, officials used pepper spray. According to the Viennese professional rescue service, five women were injured. Two injured had to be taken to the hospital, a woman broke her foot. Three other women were treated on an outpatient basis after the pepper spray use. ”A police officer is also said to have been injured.
Human Rights Day
The OgR's first Austria-wide action was on December 10, 2014, Human Rights Day , demonstrations against “the criminalization of anti-fascism”. In the foreground was the criticism of the criminal law paragraph breach of the peace (§ 274 StGB), which serves to "criminalize and intimidate anti-fascists".
Charlie Hebdo memorial rally
A spokeswoman for the OgR was “harassed and photographed by identities” at the memorial rally for the victims of the Paris attack on Charlie Hebdo on Schwarzenbergplatz in Vienna, according to the OgR.
No Pegida demonstration
The offensive against the right organized a demonstration on February 2, 2015 from the Vienna MuseumsQuartier to Stephansplatz , in which, according to the police, 5,000 demonstrators took part. The motto of the event was “No space for racism! In Vienna you don't walk a meter ”and went peacefully.
The actual Pegida - "walk", as the organizers called it, should lead from Freyung via Hof , Kohlmarkt and Herrengasse back to Freyung. Although 300 demonstrators were present on the Freyung, the march could not take place because 200 counter-demonstrators peacefully prevented the march for three hours, but with loud chants. The Pegida chants “We are the people” were answered by the counter-demonstrators with: “We are the wall, away with the people.” The courier wrote: “Apparently neo-Nazis had also mingled with the“ Pegida ”followers. Because both the Hitler salute and the so-called “Kühnen salute” were observed several times. ”Bottles were also thrown at the counter-demonstrators. Thereupon the police broke up the Pegida rally, the counter-demonstrators burst into jubilation and chanted again: “In Vienna: Pegida - once and never again”.
Protest against the red-blue coalition in Burgenland
At the beginning of June 2015, during a press conference in which LH Hans Niessl (SPÖ) and FP regional chairman Johann Tschürtz presented their future government program, a representative of the offensive against the right protested against the shift to the right in Burgenland and promised the future state government “no quiet minute”.
See also
Web links
- Offensive against the right , Alliance website
Individual evidence
- ↑ Autonome Antifa (W) , statement: Leaving the alliance “Offensive gegen Rechts” (OgR), accessed on January 30, 2014
- ^ Facebook , Offensive gegen Rechts, accessed on January 30, 2015
- ↑ ORF : 37 arrests and five injured in demos , May 17, 2014
- ↑ Vienna.at: Several demos planned: “Against the law” - organizations network , accessed on January 30, 2014
- ^ Offensive against the right: Identitarians harass anti-fascists at Charlie Memorial , accessed on January 30, 2014
- ^ Kurier: demo dissolved: Pegida stepped on the spot , February 2, 2015
- ^ ORF : Police dissolved the PEGIDA demo , February 2, 2015
- ↑ Der Standard : Large police presence and Hitler salute at Pegida demo in Vienna , February 2, 2015
- ↑ Christian Bartlau: Pegida Austria makes a false start , n-tv , February 3, 2015
- ^ ORF : Red-blue government fixed , June 5, 2015