On Friday, 2nd January, more than 8,000 people participated in the second demonstration in Vienna against Israel’s terrorist war. This demonstration was called by many Muslim associations.
Again the mood amongst the mostly Arabic or Turkish migrants was very militant. Very popular slogans were “Israel = Terrorist“, “Freedom for Palestine” or “In-ti-fa-da”. Again the Austrian left was absent to a large degree. Beside us only the Anti-imperialist Coordination and the IST section Linkswende had contingents on the demonstration.
The LSR and the youth organization REVOLUTION formed a joint contingent with many red flags and banners in which a number of migrants – between 50 and 100 – participated. We published a leaflet in Arabic, Turkish and German and sold nearly 100 copies of our special paper on the war.
We said in our publications that there should be no neutrality in this war but open support for the Palestine resistance. We do not agree with the Islamist ideology of Hamas but today they have a leading position of a justified struggle against occupation so we are on their side in this war against Israel. We also argue for the right of all Palestinians to return, for the abolishment of the Apartheid state Israel and a common Arab-Jewish socialist state in Palestine. We also called for an international boycott movement against the Israeli state and its economy to support the Palestinian struggle.
Several anti-imperialist organizations – including the LSR and REVOLUTION – call for a next demonstration on Friday, 9th January.
Photos of the demonstration can be watched on our homepage
LSR, (Austrian section of the League for the 5th International)