Police are looking for witnesses for violent clashes in Vienna

Police are looking for witnesses for violent clashes in Vienna

In the past few months, the federal capital of Vienna has been shaken by the violent clashes between different groups of young men of migrant origin. The police have now taken new steps and published photos of a further seven suspects who were involved in a brutal attack in July at the Meidling station in which four men were seriously injured.

This attack was the highlight of a weekend that was characterized by several escalations. The State Police Directorate asked the population for help. "Witnesses to whom the identity of the suspects are known are asked to contact the police," says the official message. Information can also be given anonymously to the Vienna State Criminal Police Office on 01-31310-33800.

background of the conflicts

The ongoing investigations are closely linked to the fact that this year there have been violent clashes between Chechens on one side and Syrians and Afghans on the other side. The police kept these quarrels in suspense, especially in spring and during the summer. A remarkable incident that triggered the wave of violence was the knife attack on a Russian of Chechen descent from alleged Syrians on June 3 in the Author Park in Vienna favorites.

After this incident, further violent clashes occurred from July. On July 5th and 6th there were severe clashes in Brigittenau, especially in the Anton-Kummerer Park and on Klosterneuburger Strasse. The following day escalated the situation at the Meidling train station, where several people were again injured. There were a total of seven injuries, four of whom suffered serious injuries.

The latest incident finally occurred on July 10th at Floridsdorfer Bahnhof and represents another sad chapter in this series of gang beats. In view of this alarming development, the police have already arrested several alleged ringleaders. After the first arrests, the police confirmed in September that a total of eight people are behind bars and that another 25 suspects are in the sights of the investigators.

The situation in Vienna remains tense and the police are working intensively to explore the background and motivations of these conflicts. According to reports, it is often a mixture of territorial struggles and personal disputes that can indeed lead to dangerous dimensions. For detailed information about the background and other developments on this topic, readers can read a detailed article on wien.orf.at