Inflation sparks protests in Austria
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20,000 Austrians attended a "Prices Down" rally in downtown Vienna, as per OeGB.
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Demonstrations in Vienna, Austria, September 17, 2022 (Sputnik)
Thousands of Austrians took to the streets on Saturday, enraged by the government's inaction in addressing rising living costs.
The Austrian trade union federation OeGB organized the nationwide protest to put pressure on the conservative-Green coalition, which it accused of "watching idly as our lives become unaffordable."
20,000 Austrians attended a "Prices Down" rally in downtown Vienna, as per OeGB. Meanwhile, the city police department refused to share their estimates.
In Linz, Bruck a der Mur, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt St. Polten, Eisenstadt, and Bregenz, another 10,000 people demonstrated.
Unionists accused the big businesses of taking advantage of private consumers who are struggling to pay skyrocketing energy, heating, as well as food bills.
Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen claimed that his position did not allow him to attend the rally, expressing solidarity with the protesters.
"This solidarity should not only be felt in the heart but, above all, in the wallet of those who are wondering how to pay for their shopping at the end of the month," he posted on social media.
Protest in Vienna , Austria
— Sprinter's shadow (@Sprintershadoo) September 17, 2022
"Lower prices!", "Increase pensions by 10 percent", "We don't want millions, we want to eat, warm ourselves, live!"
Demonstrators are protesting because of inflation and rising energy prices pic.twitter.com/hgFQCDVH7X
In his account, Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig stated that the skyrocketing rise in prices is a major challenge for a large portion of the population, voicing his support for the unionists' demand for pay raises.
Statistics Austria, an Austrian federal agency, said on Friday that inflation remained above the high level of 9% in August.
In August, inflation was 9.3 percent, 0.1 percentage points lower than the revised July rate of 9.4 percent. However, despite government anti-inflationary policies, energy and food prices have continued to rise, according to Statistics Austria.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the US and the EU have multiplied punitive measures to isolate Russia by targeting its banking system and freezing the assets of its leaders and its industries.
Many of the consequences, such as higher gas, electricity, and food prices, have already occurred or will occur. Meanwhile, western citizens are bearing the brunt of the sanctions on Russia, as gas prices are rising in a suffocating manner.
