Vienna: Protesters block FPÖ Politician Walter Rosenkranz at a pogrom memorial

Protesters prevented FPÖ politician Rosenkranz from commemorating the pogrom at the Vienna Judenplatz. Rosenkranz had previously sparked outrage by downplaying National Socialist crimes.

Vienna/Judenplatz/2023-11-10/

On November 10, 2023, protesters blocked FPÖ politician Walter Rosenkranz from commemorating the pogrom at the Vienna Judenplatz. According to the Mauthausen Committee, Rosenkranz had called the Holocaust "a memory lie" and the gas chambers "fairy tales." By showing up at the vigil, he "demonstrates that he uses commemorative events for his own political purposes." The FPÖ is a right-wing populist party and is often seen as being close to right-wing extremists.

The protesters chanted slogans such as "No Nazis in the Judenplatz!" and "Rosenkranz out!" They also carried signs with slogans such as "Never forget" and "Stand up against fascism." The protest was organized by the Mauthausen Committee, an organization that commemorates the victims of the Mauthausen concentration camp.

The Mauthausen Committee called on Rosenkranz to resign from his post as an FPÖ politician. The committee said that his presence at the vigil was "an insult to the victims of the Holocaust." The FPÖ defended Rosenkranz, saying that he had "the right to express his opinion." However, the party also said that it "does not share Rosenkranz's views on the Holocaust."