The State Terror and Repression of Epizentrum

On Tuesday November 8, Epizentrum was evicted by an overwhelming show of force. The Vienna police deployed more than 100 officers, plus an armoured assault vehicle and a helicopter against 26 unarmed occupants of Epizentrum. The absurdity of this mass show of force was further punctuated by the peaceful manner that the occupants voluntarily left. Did the police and authorities really believe they were facing a reincarnation of the Rote Armee Fraktion (RAF). No one in 21st Century Western Europe will ever attempt to repeat the fıasco of the RAF. Had not the Staatspolizei (Secret Police) spies reported there wern't any weapons stashed in the building and that there was never once any discussion of violent confrontation with the authorities? The Austrian media had also antıcıpated and giddy for a violent conflict. The right wing media complained that the occupiers were "softies". That the occupiers didn't put up a fight. Of course, had the occupiers violently resisted, then the media would have denounced them as "violent terrorists". In the event, the police and media looked liked fools.

Immediately after the last occupants were evicted, they and their supporters went to Amerlinghaus to regroup. Weeks ago it was agreed upon to hold a demo at 18:00 the day of the eviction at Urban-Loritz Platz not far from Epizentrum.

The Battle of The Gürtel

Between 18:00 and 18:30 around 250 people gathered at the bottom of the steps leading up to the Vienna City Library. The atmosphere was tense and there was a definite sense that the evening would be explosive. Shortly after 18:30, the demonstration was started when some people ignited fireworks and flares from the steps above. There were a series of explosions. The initial cheers and shouts from the crowd assembled below gave way to confusion and mutterıngs when the flares rained down on the protesters sending people scattering for cover.

It had been determined that the demonstration would move South along The Gürtel to Westbahnhof (West Railway Station). From Westbahnhof, the demo would turn on Mariahilfestrasse towards downtown and stop at Museums Qaurtier. The police had plainclothes among the protesters who promptly reported the route to their superiors.

The demonstaters poured onto the lanes of the The Gürtel southbound. As The Gürtel is the main traffic thoroughfare of Vienna and it was during the end of the Rush Hour, traffic was disrupted. Eight more police vans that had been sent to control the demonstration were stuck in traffic in the Northern direction. The police were in a combative mood. At the junction of The Gürtel and Felberstrasse, a line of riot cops formed a cordon. Immediately the demonstrators moved on to the tram tracks and the green island which serves as a bike and pedestrian path between the main lanes of The Gürtel. The riot police swooped in quickly. The demonstrators then went the opposite direction heading North still blocking traffic. Suddenly the sound of breaking glass was heard. Someone smashed the windows of a small shop. Many of the demonstrators were angry and wondered who was the asshole that smashed the windows. The demonstration continued with one person carrying an ignited red flare. The Gürtel had turned into a surreal scene with red flares and smoke.

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Epizentrum eviction video