play videoplay video

Video duration 01 minutes 04 seconds 01:04

University students and activists closed one of the most important streets in the Austrian capital, Vienna, on Thursday morning, as part of a protest against the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip for 132 days, and an expression of rejection of the official position of the Austrian government, which supports no ceasefire in Gaza.

Today's protest was part of the activities and events carried out by a number of Arab and Austrian activists and university students, in addition to a number of Jews who reject the practices of the Israeli occupation army and what they describe as genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.

Solidarity with Gaza

Mars Zasvelsky, an activist in the Jewish Bolshevik Caucus (a left-wing anti-Zionist group based in Vienna), said: “Today we stand in strong solidarity with the struggle to liberate Palestine - occupied for 75 years - from settler colonialism, apartheid and ethnic cleansing.”

Zasvelsky added - in statements to Al Jazeera Net - "One of our principles is that we must fight where we are, and what concerns us here in Austria is that we must fight with all our might against the military-industrial complex," as Austria ranks 25th among the largest arms exporters in the world. Therefore, “we must fight with all our might against the exploitation of the heinous weapon of anti-Semitism, and against the delegitimization and criminalization of solidarity with Palestine.”

Regarding the goals raised by the activists, Palestinian activist Malak Bastouni said, “We gathered today on Ringstraße in order to deliver a message that what is happening in Gaza is not acceptable, and that the position of the Austrian government is also not acceptable, with the pressure it is exercising to prevent solidarity with the Palestinian cause.” .

The struggle of the student movement

Malak Bastouni added - in statements to Al Jazeera Net - that public opinion in Vienna has changed a lot from what it was at the beginning of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, so Austrians have begun to participate in the various activities that we organize in various places in order to raise our voice loudly to put pressure on the political decision in Austria.

Regarding the student movement in solidarity with the Palestinian right, activist in the Free Palestine Gathering, Emilia Maciegoskiti, said that “today we stand with other students from universities in Austria against genocide and to confront massive oppression and force us to remain silent.”

She added - to Al Jazeera Net - “We have witnessed the cancellation of lectures and seminars on Palestine, and we have also witnessed the expulsion of faculty members from universities, and the intimidation of students and the threat of expulsion,” and for these reasons we must “strengthen the student movement and confront the academic circles that are working to legitimize genocide in Palestine.” And Zionist discourse in general.”

It is noteworthy that since 2017, Vienna and Tel Aviv announced a new chapter in their relations, during which relations developed at all levels, in addition to the fact that Austria’s Chancellor (Prime Minister) Karl Nehammer belongs to the conservative People’s Party, which in recent years has become closer to Israel.

Austria was also among 10 countries that voted on December 12 against a United Nations General Assembly resolution to cease fire in the Gaza Strip.

Source: Al Jazeera