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Margareten stands up: street festival against the Identitarian movement!
On July 25th and 26th, 2025, protests against the Identitarian movement will take place in Margareten, accompanied by a street festival.
Margareten stands up: street festival against the Identitarian movement!
On Saturday, July 26th, things will be turbulent in Vienna. The Identitarian Movement Austria (IBÖ) is calling for a rally under the motto “Informing and educating passers-by about Vienna's asylum and migration policy”, at which around 500 participants are expected. This is the third of its kind in the capital. My district reports. The Identitarians, who advocate strict limits on immigration and mass deportations, have also mobilized right-wing extremist supporters from neighboring countries to Vienna in recent years. The group, which was founded in Austria in 2012, has its roots in the new right movement in France and sees itself as a defender of “Western culture”.
She has a bar at Ramperstorffergasse 31 in Margareten, which causes tension in the neighborhood. In order to take a stand against this right-wing extremism, the Margareten district council is organizing a street festival on Friday, July 25th. This event is supported by the Greens, SPÖ, KPÖ/Links, Neos and the queer center “Qwien”, which recently moved to the area. The aim of the festival is to unite the neighborhood and provide a counter-voice to the Identitarian rally with music, thematic speeches, snacks, drinks and a drag show.
Insights into the Identitarian Movement
The IBÖ promotes ethnopluralism, a concept that defines ethnic groups according to culture and not biology. This movement emerged in 2012 and was founded by Martin Sellner, Patrick Lenart and Alexander Markovics, who has a history in the right-wing scene. The Identitarians have in the past engaged in actions that sought both attention and disrupted refugee events. They are known for using the lambda symbol, a yellow angle on a black background, popularized by the movie “300.” The Federal Agency for Civic Education describes them as a group that represents dangerous Islamophobic and racist positions, which they package in pop culture contexts.
The movement now has around 500 active members in Austria, who are organized into regional subgroups. Their appearance has been classified as right-wing extremist by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution since 2014. The connection to the FPÖ has also increased in recent years, with numerous overlaps between the FPÖ's youth organization and the IBÖ. These developments come in the context of the upcoming National Council election in 2024, where the FPÖ is leading in polls and could potentially strengthen its political support. BetterWorld analyzed the effects of this situation on the political landscape in Austria.
On July 25th, the street festival in Margareten will be a colorful and lively reaction to the planned identity rally. The festival is intended to help set an example for tolerance and against exclusion. As the city prepares for these events, it remains to be seen how developments surrounding the IBÖ will continue. However, one thing is certain: Margareten's neighborhood shows solidarity and action against right-wing sentiments and for peaceful coexistence.