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The red stroll: Antifa starts the fight against fascism in Vienna!
The article sheds light on the historical anti-fascist action in Austria, its origins, significant events and the resistance against fascism.
The red stroll: Antifa starts the fight against fascism in Vienna!
On November 4, 2025, Vienna will look back on an eventful history of anti-fascist action that has its roots in the 1930s. “Antifa,” as it is often called today, did not begin as a formalized organization, but rather grew out of a political practice that responded to the threat of fascism. In May 1932, the “Antifascist Action” was launched by the Communist Party of Germany (KPD), a model that was later taken up by the Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) in order to form a broad workers' front against fascism, like junge World.
The peak of anti-fascist activity in Austria was reached on September 4, 1932, when around 10,000 anti-fascists gathered in the Engelmann Arena to prevent Adolf Hitler's appearance in Vienna. This was not without risk, as the period was marked by violent clashes between political groups. Despite official bans, the KPÖ mobilized its supporters through leaflets and the party newspaper “Die Rote Fahne”. Although the Austrian Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP) was not officially involved, many of its supporters joined the protest, reports wikipedia.
Antifa as a response to political extremism
The influence of the Antifascist Action during this time should not be underestimated. In the Vienna state elections in April 1932, the NSDAP achieved 17.4 percent - a worrying signal for the political landscape at the time. The KPÖ called for all working classes to stand together against fascism. Particularly striking was September 18, 1932, when the NSDAP planned a replacement event under Joseph Goebbels and a parade accompanied by paramilitary units. In response, the KPÖ called for a “red stroll” to disrupt the Nazi march, which led to violent clashes with the security guard, as junge Welt documents.
A leaflet from the Antifascist Action described this rally as the “first act” in the fight against fascism and police terror. This form of mass mobilization proved effective, and the government at the time was forced to cancel Hitler's planned visit to Vienna - which meant an enormous loss of face for both the NSDAP and the government. “Hitler Day” in Vienna fell through.
Long-term effects and modern parallels
Not only did the KPÖ and its supporters attempt to stop Hitler through organizational strength, they also maintained a self-defense network that provided protection for Nazi target groups, a strategy that continues to this day. The Antifascist Week, which was subsequently founded in 1932, was the KPÖ's response to a Gau party conference of the NSDAP - a clearly politicized counter-event. This action and the entire anti-fascist movement in Austria began significantly with the mobilization of September 4, 1932, which is viewed in retrospect as the beginning of organized anti-fascist resistance.
The history of Antifa in Austria shows that the fight against fascism does not simply end in the history books, but continues to represent a lively and necessary form of political engagement that still has relevant parallels to modern protests and movements today. This development can also be seen in the larger context of the Antifascist Action in Europe, which played an important role across various historical phases, as wikipedia explains.