Living ban for Klima-Shakira: A protest against repression!

Living ban for Klima-Shakira: A protest against repression!

The German climate activist Anja Windl, better known as "Klima-Shakira", has received a ban on stay in Austria. The Federal Office of Foreign Affairs and Asylum (BFA) has decided that it has to leave within one month and that its right of residence was withdrawn for two years. Windl has been living in Austria for seven years, where she has her center of life and relatives. With concern, she commented on dealing with peaceful protest and explained that she would not leave voluntarily. This decision already caused an outcry in the climate protection movement.

The decision of the BFA was issued by the Leoben branch and represents a reaction to Windl's activities. According to the BFA, there is a "serious danger to public order or security", which is attributed to its protest. Windl's lawyer, Ralf Niederhammer, is outraged by this and announced a complaint with the Federal Administrative Court. He argues that a ban on stay requires a serious reason.

public reactions and support

The group "Last Generation", which supports Windl, sees the ban as one of the sharpest repression against climate protection in Austria. They criticize that Windl's peaceful protests are presented as a threat. Windl is attributed to a leading role in recruiting new members and a focus in public relations. Since November 2023, criminal investigations have been underway against them and other members about suspected the formation of the formation of a criminal association and serious property damage.

The Ministry of the Interior emphasizes that the assessment of the demands on foreign law is assessed independently of criminal investigations. In addition, Windl has had multiple police contacts in the past, which, according to BFA, led to her ban on stay.

reactions of politics and legal context

The current debate about Windl's lounge ban falls into a larger context of climate protests in Austria. While politicians such as the Lower Austrian Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner (ÖVP) are calling for tougher punishments for climate activists, experts like the criminal law professor Robert Kert see no need for reform. Kert argues that there are already sufficient punishment for intervening in dangerous situations and describes the demands for tougher punishments as populist.

activists often accept punishments and physical attacks to draw attention to the climate crisis. Lucia, a spokeswoman for the System Change Nude Change platform, sees Mikl-Leitner's demands as an attempt to intimidate political protest. In Austria, the non -violent blockade of a street is not punishable, and unclear meetings are also protected by the right to freedom of assembly. However, a violent reaction to such protests could possibly have legal consequences for the attackers.

The conflict about Anja Windl is not only a question of the individual fate of a climate activist, but also reflects the tensions between state order and the right to peaceful protest. In view of the current developments, it remains to be seen how the legal disputes will be and what steps the "Last generation" movement will take in this situation.