From Barbara Widhalm:
Thank you also for featuring Austria. I am an ex-pat from Austria and am absolutely heartbroken what is unfolding, and yet one of the most powerful resistance movements may be unfolding there, as well. I am following events on multiple Telegram channels, and a friend of mine in Austria (a dentist) is participating in protests regularly. Most of my family members are not engaged in the resistance or see things differently, but I am encouraged by the hundreds of thousands of people on the streets.
You can see some of the documentation here:
https://t.me/alexander_ehrlich
https://t.me/plattform_respekt
Startseite – Plattform RESPEKT
There are also various efforts by physician groups, including a recent action of healthcare workers throwing their gear on a pile in public
and a press conference in public (in a tent, since they were not able to meet inside)
20211214_Wien_Pressekonferenz – KlardenkenTV
but dissenting docs and healthcare workers are witch-hunted, not unlike in Canada, and many are losing their jobs.
Here footage from the recent massive demos in Vienna, and there are demonstrations all over Austria, including in small towns:
Demozug vom 11.12.2021 in Wien | Die Gesamtschau des Marsches – YouTube
Der ganze Demonstrationszug im Zeitraffer | Wien, 11.12.2021 – YouTube
Ein Teil des Demonstrationszug | Wien 11.12.2021 – YouTube
Or here an interview in English (with the activist you featured previously):
On Dec 15, there as a big warn strike all over Austria. It included farmers driving their tractors to town with signs: https://t.me/WIRstreiken.
More pics here: https://t.me/DemoDokuAT
There is also a calendar of demonstrations in Austria Megademo – direktdemokratisch.jetzt, but many are also forming spontaneously now.
I have personally been very impressed with the many peace-keeping efforts of the grassroots democratic alliances forming. At the massive demonstrations, some organizers, e.g. https://t.me/alexander_ehrlich, have distributed designated peace-keepers throughout the marches to de-escalate if needed, and also to calmly speak with police.
This channel https://t.me/alexander_ehrlich also helps create linkages between European protests, including sending equipment back and forth if needed.
This movement is not without tensions and personality conflicts, of course. And it is not surprising that the media would focus on occasional extremist escalations, which are not representative of the complete picture (as you can see from the footage).
I heard two very touching stories on this channel https://t.me/MartinRutter. In one small town in Austria, two people were singled out for organizing a demonstration that was not officially registered. As a result, everyone in the demonstration raised the hand that it’s their fault, and the police dropped their effort to escort the two away. In another small town, a retired physician confronted the police stating that this is a crime of a century and that they should please let them demonstrate peacefully.
On the rapidly growing movement to pray the rosary in public, which was inspired by a movement in the 50s of public rosary marches which contributed to the ending of Soviet occupation in Vienna. (That movement has now also spread to neighboring countries.)
For anyone speaking German, this is an excellent analysis on how public discrimination has been normalized, including a call for artists and writers to speak up: Auf Ungeimpfte mit dem Finger zeigen? – Diskriminierungslust in der Öffentlichkeit – YouTube
Diskriminierungslust zu Weihnachten 2021 – umDenk-Blog
Once I have graded papers and have cried for a week I may write a piece on Austria.
Thank you for all you do.
—
On Sun, Dec 19, 2021 Mark Crispin Miller wrote:
May I share this as is, or would you want to prune it, for whatever reason?
—
On Sun, Dec 19, 2021 Barbara Widhalm wrote:
Response to Denial of Religious Accommodation Statement (substack.com)
This letter resulted in me being invited to a meeting with the HR head. It’s already coming in handy for others.
Thank you also for featuring Austria. I am an ex-pat from Austrai and am absolutely heartbroken what is unfolding, and yet one of the most powerful resistance movements may be unfolding there, as well. I am following events on multiple Telegram channels, and a friend of mine in Austria (a dentist) is participating in protests regularly. My family, unfortunately, is largely indifferent if not hostile, but I am encouraged by the hundreds of thousands of people on the streets.
You can see some of the documentation here:
https://t.me/alexander_ehrlich
https://t.me/plattform_respekt
There are also various efforts by physician groups, including a recent action of healthcare workers throwing their gear on a pile in public
and a press conference in public (in a tent, since they were not able to meet inside)
20211214_Wien_Pressekonferenz – KlardenkenTV
but dissenting docs and healthcare workers are witch hunted, not unlike in Canada, and many are losing their jobs.
Here footage from the recent massive demos in Vienna, and there are demonstrations all over Austria, including in small towns:
Demozug vom 11.12.2021 in Wien | Die Gesamtschau des Marsches – YouTube
Der ganze Demonstrationszug im Zeitraffer | Wien, 11.12.2021 – YouTube
Ein Teil des Demonstrationszug | Wien 11.12.2021 – YouTube
Or Here an interview in English (with the activist you featured previously):
War report – Jerm Warfare
In my letter to HR I mention the rapidly growing movement to pray the rosary in public, which was inspired by a movement in the 50s of public rosary marches which contributed to the ending of Soviet occupation in Vienna.
Österreich betet | Facebook
Once I have graded papers and have cried for a week I may write a piece on Austria.
Thank you for all you do.
—
Barbara Widhalm, Ph.D.
Faculty: Bachelors of Leadership, Masters of Leadership, Doctorate of Educational Leadership Programs
Kalmanovitz School of Education
St. Mary’s College of California