Shots and calls by muezzin in Vienna-Josefstadt: police investigate after disruptive action

In Vienna-Josefstadt, a disruptive action caused a sensation Sunday morning: a vehicle sounded the surroundings with gunshots and a muezzin’s call to prayer through loudspeakers.

The vehicle was escorted by a patrol car, as can be seen in a video that circulated on Twitter. It was assumed that it was an action by right-wing activists.

The Viennese councilor of the SPÖ, Omar Al-Rawi, was probably one of the first to publish a recording of the event. The video was sent to him by an Arabic-speaking Josefstadt resident who was afraid, he said in an interview with the APA.

@LPDWienWhat is happening there? On Sunday morning, a car with police protection drives through District 8 and plays loud shots through a loudspeaker and then Muslims call for prayer. Through a muezzin. Is there any explanation for this? Provocation? pic.twitter.com/5oquYApk9S

– Omar Al-Rawi (@oalrawivienna) November 8, 2020

Al-Rawi harshly criticized the action: “We don’t need dividers on both sides.” You also have to tell the perpetrators of the action “you sneak in,” he said, referring to the words that have been consolidated as a rejection of terror in Vienna. Vienna Deputy Mayor Birgit Hebein (Greens) also asked for clarification on what was happening via Twitter.

Urgent cleaning @LPDWien Needed: It seems that the Vienna police are accompanying the upheaval in the middle of Vienna and allowing residents to be scared off with mock gunfire …?! https://t.co/2ue6miTflc

– Birgit Hebein (@BirgitHebein) November 8, 2020

Former PEGIDA spokesperson and right-wing publicist Georg Immanuel Nagel announced on Sunday that he was responsible for the disruptive action in Josefstadt. He drove a car there and played gun salutes, muezzin calls to prayer, and anti-Islamization slogans over a loudspeaker. The police opened an investigation on suspicion of hate speech. In addition, complaints of obsolescence were made against those present.

Nagel wanted to take action against “mass objection and Islamization,” he said. Nagel also regularly hosts the “March for the Family,” an event against the annual rainbow parade.

The action on Sunday morning, which was supposed to “shake people up”, had been recorded before the police, reported: “I wish no one would be scared, that was not my intention. In any case, it was clear that it was a demonstration” . Nagel believed that anyone who is more upset by noise than actual terror has “completely wrong priorities.”

The action six days after the terrorist attack with four dead in Vienna had caused consternation, misunderstanding and uproar. Vienna police justified the incident Sunday afternoon on Twitter. Consequently, the rally with ten people and under the title “Tolerance and diversity” had been registered for the period from 9:00 to 10:00. At the time the meeting was reported, there was no reason to ban, the police stressed.

According to his own information, the person in charge present was consulted before leaving. He indicated that the speakers were only used to play oriental music, Viennese police said. After the rally departed at 9:20 am, oriental music was initially played. However, machine gun ointments and anti-Muslim slogans were touched four times during the rally for a period of one to two minutes, the executive reported.

Although the police officers present had clarified the matter with officials from the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Combating Terrorism (LVT), the rally ended at 10 am, according to police. Administrative complaints were filed against those present, among other things for disturbing public order.

Green MP David Stögmüller, like many others on Twitter, was shocked and announced a parliamentary question. “Incredible – a few days after the attack in Vienna. Action must be taken here immediately!”