According to Austrian News Media: Vienna has witnessed a wave of ethnic violence, culminating in the arrest of four more suspects following armed confrontations between groups of young men. In total, 25 alleged perpetrators have been identified, suggesting that all key figures behind the unrest have now been apprehended. During the latest police raids, a 9mm pistol, believed to have been used during a violent encounter on the night of July 6th in Anton-Kummerer Park, was seized, claimed Gerhard Winkler, head of the investigative division of the Vienna State Criminal Police.
Authorities also confiscated a gas pistol, six knives, multiple mobile phones, computers, pepper sprays, and a car. The clashes between young Syrian and Chechen men, erupted into violence with wooden slats, knives, pepper sprays and firearms, leaving three people injured. “At least six shots were confirmed to have been fired,” Winkler stated at a media briefing joined by Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, Vienna’s Police Chief Gerhard Pürstl and Dieter Csefan, head of the Youth Crime Task Force.
The latest arrests include a Syrian, two Russians of Chechen descent and an Austrian. Earlier arrests involved two Syrians, a Chechen and a Croatian of Turkish origin, all linked to a series of violent incidents in June and July across Vienna that kept law enforcement on high alert. These incidents have sparked heated discussions about public safety and community tensions.
In response to the violence, a new public surveillance system has been deployed with 70 to 80 officers focused exclusively on monitoring public areas. “The kind of incidents we faced in early July are no longer visible today,” remarked Police Chief Pürstl, who vowed to maintain a strong police presence until a significant decrease in crime, stabbings and antisocial behavior in public spaces is ensured.
Csefan described the incidents as “ethnic conflicts,” fueled by loose affiliations and “hate spread through chat groups.” Eight ringleaders have been detained so far, resolving incidents across the districts of Brigittenau, Meidling, Favoriten and Floridsdorf, although investigations are ongoing.
The unrest appears to have been triggered by an incident on June 3rd when a Chechen man was allegedly stabbed and critically wounded by Syrians in Arthaber Park, Vienna-Favoriten. The tension escalated, peaking over the weekend of July 5th to 7th with nighttime brawls and violence, culminating in serious injuries to four individuals. The most recent altercation took place on July 10th at Floridsdorf Station, marking a summer of strife for the Austrian capital.
