State Protection
Planned attack on Vienna rainbow parade prevented
18.06.2023 at 11:26
DSN Director Omar Haijawi-Pirchner and Vienna State Police Chief Gerhard Pürstl at the PK on the attack on Sunday.TOBIAS STEINMAURER
Immediately before the parade on Saturday, the State Security arrested three young men. They had planned to carry out an attack "with a knife or motor vehicle".
Three young men are said to have planned an attack on the Rainbow Parade, which took place in Vienna on Saturday. The suspects, aged 14, 17 and 20, were arrested before the start of the event, Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, director of the State Protection and Intelligence Directorate (DSN), said at a press conference on Sunday.
The annual colorful march for the rights of LGBTIQ+ people took place for the 27th time on Saturday. More than 300,000 people are said to have taken part. For the participants in the parade, "at no time was there a decided danger," Haijawi-Pirchner stressed. The DSN had obtained knowledge in advance of the alleged plans of the suspects, who were radicalized online and sympathized with the Islamic State (IS), kept them "under constant control" and arrested them on the orders of the St. Pölten public prosecutor's office after house searches on Saturday, which uncovered various evidence, including weapons.
"With knife or motor vehicle"
The three young men, Austrian citizens of Bosnian and Chechen origin, respectively, had planned to carry out an attack "with a knife or motor vehicle," it said. They had planned an "attack in Vienna" with the Rainbow Parade as a "possible target," it said. One of the suspects had already been known to the police in connection with acts of terrorism.
As Haijawi-Pirchner explained, at no time had there been a "decided danger". The alleged perpetrators had been monitored "closely". They had radicalized themselves online and shared IS content. There were also indications that they had bought weapons abroad. The trio was arrested before the start of the parade by members of the Cobra task force.
Now the extensive evidence, including cell phones, weapons, throwing stars, gas weapons as well as a saber and the seized data carriers, had to be evaluated. The public prosecutor in St. Pölten ordered the arrest of the three, and they were taken to the local prison.
One of the suspects also had a vehicle at his disposal. In addition however further investigations are necessary whether he had wanted to use this also. It would also have to be investigated whether the gas weapons had been modified or adapted.
Organizer informed only today
The organizer of the rainbow parade was informed only today, Sunday, about the events. One had not wanted to create panic reactions among the participants, especially since the police raid had already taken place. According to Haijawi-Pirchner, the three should have already carried out appropriate preparatory actions: "There was a corresponding moment of danger in the run-up, but that could be completely intercepted."
For the politicians participating in the rainbow parade, the appropriate security and protection concepts had been implemented yesterday. What these looked like exactly, the DSN head did not want to reveal, so as not to jeopardize them in the future. (APA)
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DSN Director Omar Haijawi-Pirchner and Vienna State Police Chief Gerhard Pürstl at the PK on the attack on Sunday.TOBIAS STEINMAURER
Immediately before the parade on Saturday, the State Security arrested three young men. They had planned to carry out an attack "with a knife or motor vehicle".
Three young men are said to have planned an attack on the Rainbow Parade, which took place in Vienna on Saturday. The suspects, aged 14, 17 and 20, were arrested before the start of the event, Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, director of the State Protection and Intelligence Directorate (DSN), said at a press conference on Sunday.
The annual colorful march for the rights of LGBTIQ+ people took place for the 27th time on Saturday. More than 300,000 people are said to have taken part. For the participants in the parade, "at no time was there a decided danger," Haijawi-Pirchner stressed. The DSN had obtained knowledge in advance of the alleged plans of the suspects, who were radicalized online and sympathized with the Islamic State (IS), kept them "under constant control" and arrested them on the orders of the St. Pölten public prosecutor's office after house searches on Saturday, which uncovered various evidence, including weapons.
"With knife or motor vehicle"
The three young men, Austrian citizens of Bosnian and Chechen origin, respectively, had planned to carry out an attack "with a knife or motor vehicle," it said. They had planned an "attack in Vienna" with the Rainbow Parade as a "possible target," it said. One of the suspects had already been known to the police in connection with acts of terrorism.
As Haijawi-Pirchner explained, at no time had there been a "decided danger". The alleged perpetrators had been monitored "closely". They had radicalized themselves online and shared IS content. There were also indications that they had bought weapons abroad. The trio was arrested before the start of the parade by members of the Cobra task force.
Now the extensive evidence, including cell phones, weapons, throwing stars, gas weapons as well as a saber and the seized data carriers, had to be evaluated. The public prosecutor in St. Pölten ordered the arrest of the three, and they were taken to the local prison.
One of the suspects also had a vehicle at his disposal. In addition however further investigations are necessary whether he had wanted to use this also. It would also have to be investigated whether the gas weapons had been modified or adapted.
Organizer informed only today
The organizer of the rainbow parade was informed only today, Sunday, about the events. One had not wanted to create panic reactions among the participants, especially since the police raid had already taken place. According to Haijawi-Pirchner, the three should have already carried out appropriate preparatory actions: "There was a corresponding moment of danger in the run-up, but that could be completely intercepted."
For the politicians participating in the rainbow parade, the appropriate security and protection concepts had been implemented yesterday. What these looked like exactly, the DSN head did not want to reveal, so as not to jeopardize them in the future. (APA)
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