Occupied Elsewhere: Austria

In October 2011, the Austrian Occupy movement formed itself with concentrations in Vienna and a few other cities. Since then, they have organized meetings, demonstrations and coordination efforts to form a larger Occupy community. These strategies had previously been used in 2009, when activists occupied the main lecture hall at the University of Vienna for three months and held daily assemblies. However, continuous working groups with frequent and transparent updates on activities or general assemblies have yet to emerge this time. Different interest groups operate under the Occupy label. Particularly in Vienna, a lot of different action groups and smaller organisations can be found taking action at demonstrations. In December, Occupy Christmas organized a demonstration against the marginalization of the poor at the Vienna Christmas market with the help of several activist groups. On January 20-22, a nationwide conference was organized to facilitate cooperation and networking among Occupy and other democratic movements in Austria.

Activist networks have traditionally been strong in German-speaking countries. Organisations like Attac or anti-racism networks have a strong following – which is why some question whether there is a need for a separate Occupy movement in Austria. Others insist that the need exists, and despite the harsh Alpine winter, activists set up a small protest camp in the city of Innsbruck in November.

Squatters groups have also been active throughout Austria. From 14 October to 8 November 2011, the Epizentrum in Vienna offered space for workshops, a kitchen, a free university, a cinema, living rooms, a library, queer working groups and ateliers. The emphasis was on building an infrastructure for a culture of learning and shared experiences. Yet the building was evicted in November when the national police turned up with an armored vehicle and a helicopter. Solidarity demonstrations took place until late in the night.

Yet in addition to coordination and harsh temperatures, the Austrian movement faces an additional challenge: Austria’s media landscape is dominated by a few large publishing houses and proprietary media. Newspapers reported that some protest participants belonged to the far-right part of the political spectrum. Some articles addressed an investigation into National Socialist activities. A prominent supporter of the Occupy network, the Viennese economist Franz Hörmann, is as well-known for his criticism of the current monetary system as he is for his problematic views on anti-Semitism and the economic system of the Nazi era. His appearance at an Occupy event was picked up by mainstream media outlets. Hörmann has since decided to leave the sphere of civic activism to found his own political party. Occupy Austria has also taken steps to distance the movement from his views. He will not be invited as a speaker again. Occupy Austria further declared in a statement: “We don’t wish to act as platform for a political party, but to provide space and publicity for people’s ideas.” Whilst Occupy is open to everyone, it also made clear that anti-Semitism or racist views are not tolerated within the movement. The Facebook page of Occupy Austria explicitly states that its administrators distance themselves from fascism, racism and religious or other fanatic views.

The controversy highlights a larger challenge for the Occupy movement: as a leaderless and decentralized movement, the Occupy name can be claimed by others in ways that undermine the credibility and thematic focus of the movement.

By Judith Schossboeck