Vienna Protests: Jewish Students Block Far-Right Speaker's Kristallnacht Tribute

Jewish students in Vienna protested against Austria's far-right Freedom Party Speaker, Walter Rosenkranz, preventing him from laying a wreath at a Holocaust memorial during Kristallnacht commemorations. The students opposed his involvement due to his affiliations with far-right groups and past controversial statements regarding Nazi figures.

In Vienna, Jewish students thwarted a far-right politician's attempt to honor Kristallnacht victims, accusing him of misusing their memory. Walter Rosenkranz, speaker of the Austrian parliament's lower house, faced backlash due to his ties to a far-right fraternity and contentious remarks about a Nazi prosecutor.

The protest unfolded as Jewish students encircled a Holocaust memorial, blocking Rosenkranz from laying a wreath. Their banner proclaimed, 'The word of those who honor Nazis is worthless.' Despite police presence, protesters refused to budge, leading Rosenkranz to retreat amid tense exchanges.

This protest coincides with ongoing coalition talks by other political parties aiming to exclude Rosenkranz's Freedom Party, reminiscent of its controversial past. Kristallnacht's historical significance looms large in Vienna, a city marked by the brutality of the 1938 pogroms.

(With inputs from agencies.)