Austrian authorities have claimed to have thwarted a potential attack on the city’s Pride parade by three young men who allegedly sympathized with the extremist Islamic State (IS) group. The suspects, aged 14, 17, and 20, were arrested by Austria’s Cobra special forces before the start of the parade, which was attended by around 300,000 people. According to Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, the head of Austria’s domestic intelligence service, the suspects had been radicalized online and sympathized with IS, with one of them already known to police.
The authorities had received advance knowledge of the suspects’ alleged plans and kept them “under constant control” before arresting them on the orders of the St Poelten public prosecutor’s office following house searches that uncovered evidence, including weapons. The intelligence service had been monitoring the suspects and had taken swift action to prevent any potential harm. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer expressed his gratitude to investigators for preventing “a possible Islamist attack in Vienna,” stating that the incident “shows once again that we must never give in in the fight against radicals and extremists.”
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer (Via Karl Nehammer/Twitter)
Vienna’s mayor, Michael Ludwig, also expressed his shock, saying that there must be no place for hate and exclusion in the city, which is known for its cosmopolitan and colorful atmosphere. The organizers of the Pride parade were informed about the events on Sunday, after the police raid had already taken place. The parade’s organizing team issued a statement, saying, “We will not let the enemies of rights for LGBTQI people, democracy, and an open society get us down.”
The events have sparked concerns about the increasing threats to the rights of the LGBTQI community, with Ann-Sophie Otte, chairwoman of the Homosexual Initiative Vienna, stating that the community has to fight every day for its visibility and safety. The incident is a stark reminder of the ongoing battle against extremism and hate, and the importance of vigilance and cooperation between law enforcement agencies and the community.
