Protest – Waidhofen/Ybbs: 120 loudly sounded the climate alarm

In the course of the global climate strike of “Fridays for Future”, the organizers of the Waidhofen climate protests together with the newly founded “Parents for Future” regional group invited to a protest march in Waidhofen on Saturday morning to demand a sustainable climate policy. Around 120 citizens from the Ybbstal met at 10.15 a.m. at the viaduct car park, including Waidhofen’s environmental councilor Gudrun Schindler-Rainbauer (ÖVP) and construction councilor Martin Dowalil (list FUFU).

Daniela Aigenbauer from “Parents for Future” opened the protest event with a quote from former Czech president and playwright Václav Havel: “Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, no matter how it turns out.” The desire for a future worth living for everyone drives her, said the mother of two. “My main motivation is that our children will also have a good life in the future. I’m not giving up hope, even if it doesn’t always look good.”

The protest march then moved from Lederergasse to Weyrerstraße in the direction of the city centre. In addition, the climate alarm was loudly sounded on cooking pots that had been brought along. The entourage made a first stop in front of the roundabout at the Marcik company to make a plea for cycling by cycling enthusiast Birgit Aigenbauer, who, for health reasons, was unable to take part in the protest procession.

Angry motorists expressed displeasure

Meanwhile, traffic on Weyrerstrasse and Mühlstrasse was stopped by the police. This put a strain on the nerves of many a car driver, who expressed their displeasure by honking their horns. The climate activists responded with a drum roll on their saucepans. At the next stop at Eberhardplatz, a car driver didn’t want to wait to park, even though the protesters had already gathered on the square. Despite the crowd around her, she drove off. A young man got in the way of the vehicle, he was asked by the police to leave and let the car drive.

After the excitement had subsided, climate activist Raphael Kößl called on the federal government to reduce the speed limits in Austria in the interests of climate protection and human protection. “We are the last generation that still has it in our hands to save the climate,” he said. Then we continued via the lower town square to the trout fountain on the Freisingerberg, where little Olivia, supported by father Christian, gave her speech about effective environmental protection. As a result, those present were able – as is usual with the Waidhofen climate protests – to address “Klimapost” with their demands for effective climate protection to the politically responsible.

The protest march ended at the upper town square in front of the Marian column, where some of the protesters made themselves comfortable on camping chairs. “We want to really use the meeting zone in the city center as pedestrians,” explained climate activist Raphael Kößl. Then the 17-year-old Ybbstal climate activist Levi, who, together with a group of other children and young people, is suing the Austrian federal government because of the climate protection law, which they believe is too lax, reported on the background of this “climate lawsuit”. “The existing climate protection law harms young people. With our lawsuit, we want the government to do something, because young people have a right to a future worth living in,” he said.