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meIt was a sign of sympathy when 30 people gathered in front of the synagogue in Graz on the night of the penultimate Sunday. There had been a series of attacks before. For example, on the night of August 18, stones were thrown into the synagogue and pro-Palestinian letters were sprinkled on the walls of the house of prayer.
Just two days later, pieces of cement were thrown at the synagogue windows. Finally, on the night of August 22, Elie Rosen, president of the Graz Jewish community, was attacked with a baseball bat in front of the community center. According to his own account, Rosen was able to flee at the last second in his car, which the attacker had hit before escaping.
Now there is a suspect: on Monday last week, the Graz police arrested a 31-year-old Syrian who came to Austria as a refugee in 2013. The man confesses and is also said to be responsible for an attack on a gay bar and lesbians. Investigators assume an Islamist motive.
For local green politician Tristan Ammerer, who participated in the vigil in front of the synagogue, there is now an unexpected consequence. A police headquarters in Graz informed him by email at the weekend that he would be reported for violating the Assembly Act, the Road Traffic Act and the Crown Protection Ordinance.
Tristan ammerer
Source: Nikola Milatovic
Ammerer did the advertising public on Tuesday. “Due to his indirect request through social media to participate in the ‘vigil’ in front of the Graz synagogue on August 22, 2020, he appeared as the leader of an uninformed gathering, for which he is being denounced,” he says the mail. Also, the crown’s distance regulations were not followed at the meeting and the sidewalk was used “for non-traffic related purposes.” WELT has the mail history.
Ammerer was horrified: “The accusations are completely absurd. The Graz police report is completely unfounded, ”said the head of the green district of the Graz district of Gries.
He points out that under the Austrian Assembly Act, spontaneous meetings are also possible and that the vigil started only three hours after the attack. The participants had always pointed out the rules of distance from each other, which had been observed anyway due to the umbrellas they had brought with them.
Corresponding images on social media indicate that the claim is true. There are very dubious priorities, says Ammerer. In plain language: “There was no rush to protect the synagogue, but with such a criminal case, things suddenly happen quickly. That alienates me a lot ”. The Greens announced that he would raise an objection to the penalty notice and, if necessary, challenge it in court.
After the second attack on the synagogue, the local politician complained about the lack of protection from the police. “I am crazy as hell. Why is there no police protection? Karlau Police Station is only 200 meters away! ”He posted on Twitter on August 22.
Later that day, he also pointed to the attack on community president Rosen and called for local support: “After the police refused to provide protection, I will go there now and stay there tonight. It would be great not to be alone. Ammerer has now been denounced by the police station mentioned in the first tweet. “I don’t want to assume a direct connection between my criticism of the police station and the complaint. But it feels like a comeback coach, ”he says.
The Styrian Police Department rejects the allegations. Since the meeting in front of the synagogue had not been recorded, the police were legally obliged to file a complaint. “Otherwise, the charge of abuse of power could have been brought against the officials,” said a spokesman.
The announcement will now be verified by the administrative authority. “Due to sensitivity,” a warning might suffice after such a report. In this regard, however, the decision of the competent administrative authority remains to be seen.
The green politician does not want to accept it either, if he is warned. “Since I have not committed the crimes of which I am accused, I also do not need any good will,” Ammerer said.
The Greens in the National Council were outraged by the announcement. “It is really incredible that the participation of civil society, where there is a lack of support from the government, can result in a complaint,” said Eva Blimlinger MEP. “Whoever protects Jewish institutions in Austria is not praised and appreciated, no, he is being prosecuted by the police.” The complaint must be withdrawn immediately.
The number of documented attacks against Jews in Austria is increasing: the latest report from the Israelitische Kultusgemeinde (IKG) Vienna recorded 550 anti-Semitic incidents in 2019, an increase of 9.5 percent compared to 2017. In 2008, there were 46 incidents. Above all, the number of property damage has increased, most of it is “hurtful behavior”, such as insults that are also spoken on the Internet.
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