Record for Defaced Posters: Who is Particularly Affected Before the Vienna Election
Vienna will elect a new municipal council and district representatives on April 27. For weeks now, the posters of the individual parties have been omnipresent in the city. However, many of them no longer show their original condition: They have been smeared with slogans, covered with stickers, or completely or partially torn down. As the Institute for Graffiti Research has found, there are more defacements this year than ever before.
Defacements of Posters Are Inevitable Before Vienna Election
As part of the city-funded project, such interventions are documented. According to a release on Monday, there have been more in this election campaign than almost ever before. Only the EU referendum in the 1990s was accompanied by more intense activity, it was said. The interventions range from simple smears to comparatively constructive contributions that have been added.
The content spectrum is broad. For example, more animal protection and an end to fully slatted floors are demanded. The geopolitical situation is present with slogans about the war in Ukraine, the Gaza war, or the topic of neutrality. Politicians' incomes are also repeatedly made the subject of the "decorations."
Not All Parties Equally Affected
The parties are affected to varying degrees. It was found, for example, that about a week after the start of the intensive election campaign, a large portion of the FPÖ and HC Strache posters had either been torn down or at least damaged or altered in some form. Among the Blues, the play with the name of the candidate Dominik Nepp was widespread, such as outlining the last name or replacing the first letter.
Even proximity to Putin is often attributed to the FPÖ on the inscriptions. The former Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache, on the other hand, is branded as a "traitor" among other things. According to the investigation, the ÖVP was less affected, but still frequently. Their posters were found to have numerous swastikas and Hitler mustaches. Slogans like "Vienna must not become Döbling" were also discovered.
Vandalism on Green Posters Less Frequent
Green posters were less often the target of vandalism. They were criticized for their Corona policy - for example, with stickers stating "Vaccination kills". The NEOS posters had relatively few clear political scribbles. However, in a limited area, several posters were described by an apparently single activist, with co-founder Hans Peter Haselsteiner being targeted.
The added slogans on the SPÖ posters were often quite personal. References were made to the stature of Mayor Michael Ludwig, who was attributed with "tons of reliability" and a "schnitzel face". The topic of migration is also repeatedly addressed - as well as the Lobau highway. The posters of SPÖ-Margareten were indeed extensively sprayed. Here, recent internal party disputes seem to be reflected.
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.