Halloween in Vienna ended with flashes of disorder rather than a citywide outbreak. Police said five people were provisionally arrested during gatherings in the city centre, while the night as a whole passed without serious rioting.
According to the Vienna police, the arrests were made on suspicion of resisting officers or damaging property. The announcement came in the early hours of Sunday, after social media posts had circulated calls for violence ahead of Halloween. In response, several hundred officers were deployed across the city.
Most police actions involved the improper use of fireworks, authorities said. Still, isolated crimes did occur. One suspect allegedly tried to damage a parked police vehicle using a flammable liquid.
In the Donaustadt district, several portable toilets were set on fire. In Favoriten, a cigarette vending machine was blown up. Police said larger security incidents were prevented, and follow up checks continued through the night.
Two demonstrations had taken place in Vienna’s inner city on Saturday evening and ended without incident, according to media reports. Only a few hundred people attended. Several shops had boarded up their windows with wooden panels as a precaution.
One gathering was held under the slogan “GenZWachtAuf” roughly, “Gen Z, wake up.” Protesters called for better education, healthcare, and a more affordable life.
Similar demonstrations under the motto “GenZ regelt” “Gen Z takes charge” took place in numerous German cities on Saturday afternoon. While many protests remained peaceful, violence broke out afterwards in cities including Cologne and Frankfurt. Shop windows were smashed, stores were looted, and Molotov cocktails were thrown at police officers.
Earlier, the Vienna State Police Directorate said it had identified several suspects in connection with online calls for criminal acts and the looting of luxury shops on Halloween night. On Friday morning, prosecutors ordered searches of six properties in Vienna and Lower Austria. Four suspects, aged between 14 and 22, were taken in for immediate questioning.
