After 57 seconds, it became clear that there were a large number of Turkish fans in public view at the main train station. It was then that the first Turkish victory – the station forecourt shook. However, it was even louder when the Austrians scored the next goal after a temporary 0-2 lead, and the Austro-Turks also celebrated red-white-red. “I’m 51 percent in favor of Türkiye and 49 percent in favor of Austria. It won’t be bad if Austria makes it to the quarter-finals – I’ve heard enough about Córdoba,” said Ismail, a former guest worker.
But common sense did not prevail among all present that evening. During the break, bottles and cans flew through the crowd and a scuffle broke out. For the first time, a large police force had to intervene, but overall they drew a “positive balance”.
For those who remained near the railway station after Austria’s defeat, it must have felt different. The executive, equipped with protective gear and service dogs, had to break up repeated fights. Glass bottles traveled towards the emergency services. Motorcades, honking and flashing lights passing through the crowd contributed to a warm atmosphere.
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“There were three arrests. A police officer sustained minor injuries but managed to continue on duty,” the state police headquarters said on Wednesday. A 48-year-old man punched the officer in the face.
Courier witnessed the arrests. The situation came to a head, especially after 11pm, when many fans were already on their way home. Youths attended the rally with Syrian and Palestinian flags. The police had to intervene several times to keep the tension at bay. Kurds and Turks clashed. “45 reports were filed,” said a police spokesman, who added that several thousand people watched the game in public spaces in Vienna.
76 thousand
People of Turkish origin live in Vienna
Several thousand
Austrian and Turkish soccer fans celebrated in public in Vienna on Tuesday
45 people
Arrested after riots in Vienna fan zones
18 people
Vienna was wounded in public view
Greetings from the wolf
It was only after midnight that things relaxed at the main station. Fans moved towards Reumannplatz, where they celebrated late into the night with singing and a red flag with a crescent moon and star fluttering from the cars.
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Although there were no further clashes in the hotspot, footage shared on social media showed men saluting “grey wolves”, which is seen as nationalist and fascist (see also page 3). Celebrants included Hamas supporters. According to reports, the constitutional security officers observed the night scenes.
Public viewing was also closely monitored by the organizers. ÖBB said on Wednesday that it would be evaluated in the evening; Apart from a few troublemakers who were not in the football stadium, the situation was well under control. From the current perspective, the plan is to make the station forecourt available again for Saturday’s quarter-final between the Netherlands and Turkey.
