-------- Original Message --------
Subject: News from Vienna
Date: Fri, 04 Feb 2000 18:39:10 +0100
From: Kurt Lhotzky <k.lhotzky at xpoint.at> Reply-To: marxism at lists.panix.com
Dear Comrades - here in Vienna the demonstrations are going on. In the afternoon, the Ministries for Social Affairs (FP) and the Miniitry for Economy (Popular Party) were occupied by several 100 protesters, the bulk of them members of far-left organizations and anarchists. The new Minister for Internal Affairs (Popular Party) said in an interview, that an "explosive device was found in the Ministry of Social Affairs" - in fact, the speaker of the Viennese police corrected several minutes ago his own minister: They just found a bottle with iced water :-)) Now, at 18:30 CET, some fourthousand people are again rallying at the Ballhausplatz, in front of the Bundeskanzleramt and the office of President Klestil. Another bulk of some 800 people holds a meeting in front of the Parliament building. IMPORTANT: For today, the [old] government has forbidden all demonstrations at Ballhausplatz!!! Again, there are quite large numbers of declared Trade-Union members, shop stewards and TU representatives among the demonstrators. The president of the Austrian Federation od Trade Unions, Fritz Verzetnitsch (SP), attacked today the "antisocial and brutasl programme of this government" and announced "harsh resistance", not excluding (and that is strong for a good soialdemocrat!) strikes against the most brutal points of the black-blue government´s plans. Tomorrow, there will be at least one central protest at 17.oo CET at the Heldenplatz (were Hitler spoke in 1938). It seems, that the Trade Union of the Iron and Steel workers will send delegations in special trains from the other provinces. More news as soon as possible! Kurt (already without voice because of all the slogans that have to be shouted)