Raid on the ORF center: Terror warning causes great excitement!

Raid on the ORF center: Terror warning causes great excitement!

On Tuesday, March 25, 2025, there was a large-scale police operation at the ORF center in Vienna's 13th district of Hietzing. At around 5:00 a.m., police received a threat of attack that required an immediate response. A driver of a light truck had blocked access to the broadcast center and stated that there might be a bomb in the cargo area of ​​the vehicle. The driver was immediately arrested, while the security area around the ORF center was closed across a large area. The operation took place in close cooperation with the ORF security team and was able to last until 8:30 a.m.

Although the center itself was not completely closed, parts of the building complex had to be cleared. The Interior Ministry's defusing service was deployed on site to clarify the situation and rule out any danger.

Event security and public fear

These events come in the context of widespread fear of terrorist attacks in everyday life, especially at events and public transport. A 2017 survey by Research Affairs found that 88% of Austrians are afraid of terrorist attacks in Europe. Another 89% feel more unsafe than in previous years. Despite the statistically low probability of an attack at events in Austria, the population's subjective sense of security is strong. 57% of those surveyed reported that they would like more protective measures from the government to prevent feared terrorist attacks.

In the last 40 years there have been no terrorist attacks related to events in Austria. Compared to 49,768 road deaths in the same period, the 20 deaths caused by terrorism in the past represent a marginal risk perception. Nevertheless, the number of calls for attacks in Western European countries is increasing, giving rise to the premise that the population's fear is often disproportionate to the objective danger.

Recommendations for organizers

Security planning at events must therefore take into account the discrepancy between subjective perception and objective danger. Experts recommend that organizers include emergency plans in the event of terrorist attacks. Exemplary incidents, such as the mass panic at a public viewing in Turin in 2017 with over 1,500 injuries, show how important appropriate security measures are in order to be able to react effectively in an emergency.

How Vienna.at reported, the current situation around the ORF center remains worrying, even if no explosion or injuries were reported in the end. The event highlights the ongoing tension between perceived and real threats in society.

In addition, the article by Eventfex that citizens' concerns are often disproportionate to the real danger, which underlines the need for robust security concepts for public events and events. Despite the statistical rarity of such attacks, sensitivity to the issue remains high.