08 Feb 2024 | 08:48 PM UTC
Austria: Activists stage protest march toward Schillerpark in Vienna to protest annual Vienna Opera Ball late Feb. 8
Activists stage protest march toward Schillerpark in Vienna, Austria, amid heightened security late Feb. 8; transport disruptions likely.
Activists affiliated with the Communist Youth of Austria (Kommunistische Jugend Osterreichs, KJO) are staging a protest march in Vienna late Feb. 8. The purpose of the demonstration is to denounce the annual Vienna Opera Ball (Wiener Opernball) being held at the Vienna State Opera building Feb. 8. Demonstrators reportedly began the protest near the intersection of Gumpendorferstrasse and Gfrornergasse and are marching toward Schillerpark. Dozens of people are participating in the march. Security forces have deployed to monitor the demonstration. Following the demonstration, an afterparty is scheduled at Wielandgasse 2-4.
Authorities will likely maintain a heightened security presence in the vicinity of the protest march and close roads along the march route to vehicular traffic. Localized transport and business disruptions are likely. Clashes between demonstrators and police cannot be ruled out.
Avoid the protest march as a precaution. Consider taking alternative routes to circumvent the march route and any disruptions. If violence breaks out, leave the area and seek shelter in a secure, nongovernmental building. Adhere to all instructions issued by local authorities.
