Excitement Over Alleged "Fake Bombs" at Demonstration in Vienna
Before the "March for Life," there was a church service in the Vienna Karlskirche, led by the emeritus Bishop Klaus Küng. After the service, the church had to be evacuated because a ticking noise and a blinking bag were discovered. Both objects turned out to be dummies.
Police Issue All-Clear After Alarm Over Alleged "Bomb Dummies"
The Vienna police were reserved in their response to an APA inquiry. Two women's handbags were found in the Karlskirche. Since these bags could not be assigned to any individuals, an explosives expert and the bomb disposal service were called in. However, the handbags were found to be harmless; an alarm clock was found in one of them. The mass did not have to be interrupted, according to a police spokeswoman to the APA, and the investigation took place after the church service ended.
Alarm Over Alleged "Bomb Dummies": ÖVP Vienna Speaks of "Violent Attack"
According to the organizers, around 3,000 participants took part in the march through the city center, and two politicians, Caroline Hungerländer (ÖVP) and Hubert Keyl (FPÖ Lower Austria), spoke to the demonstration participants on stage, according to Kathpress. The Vienna ÖVP expressed being "deeply affected" by the incident in a statement. "This is a violent attack on the free exercise of religion as a fundamental and human right," explained Johannes Pasquali, chairman of the Wiedner ÖVP district party, in a statement from the ÖVP.
The rector of the Karlskirche, Marek Pucalik, was also reported to be shocked, according to the "Kronen Zeitung." "Obviously, a mass panic was intended to be provoked during the service, and the subsequent March for Life was to be massively disrupted. We are not afraid and will not be intimidated by violence," Pasquali stated.
Hungerländer also expressed shock: "This is a new level of escalation that we as a society must not accept." The act shows "once again that Vienna needs consistent protection for churches and places of worship. It is not about spreading fear, but about providing security. People who want to pray should be able to do so - in peace, without threats, without violence. For this, the city and security authorities must jointly set clear priorities," said the integration spokeswoman of the Vienna People's Party.
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.