Lobau motorway protest: Greenpeace activists occupy Vienna City Hall

Greenpeace activists occupy Vienna City Hall over Lobau motorway

Vienna,‌ ‌23 ‌September 2021‌ - About 20 activists of the environmental organization Greenpeace have been occupying the Vienna City Hall since this morning to protest against the mega road project Lobau motorway. The activists have been blocking the office of mayor Michael Ludwig since 8:00 am. In addition, Greenpeace climbers put up a banner with the words "LOBAU BLEIBT" on the westernmost tower of the city hall building.

David Pimperl @ Greenpeace

With the occupation the activists take a clear stand against the policy of the City of Vienna and the mayor of Vienna, Michael Ludwig. Ludwig is sticking to the construction of the city highway S1 as well as Lobau motorway and ignores the concerns of the climate activists of the Lobau protest camp in Hirschstetten, which has been going on for a month. Greenpeace demands an immediate halt to construction of the entire Lobau motorway project and a complete re-evaluation of the road construction. "The Lobau motorway harms the population, climate and nature. For weeks, mayor Michael Ludwig has ignored the voices of young people in his city, and he ignores the science that warns of the consequences of this fossil fuel madness project. That's why we are taking the protest to the center of power today and sending a clear signal: Lobau stays!

A mayor who endangers the future of children in his city does not deserve an office in our city hall," clarifies Klara Maria Schenk, climate and transport spokesperson at Greenpeace in Austria. The planned Vienna outer ring motorway S1 and its satellite projects such as the city road have been propagated by the mayoral party SPÖ (Social Democratic Party of Austria) for more than ten years as an important cornerstone of the Viennese transport strategy - despite the fact that scientists and climate protectors consistently warn of the traffic-increasing and climate-damaging effects and the threat of drastic consequences for the Danube Floodplain National Park.

"Mayor Ludwig must finally wake up and recognise the signs of the times. Otherwise, the SPÖ's blind building frenzy will lead to the next Hainburg or Zwentendorf," warns Schenk. Greenpeace demands a stop to motorway projects in order to enable a real change in transport and climate. In addition, there is an urgent need for a public transport initiative that allows cities and municipalities to phase out fossil fuels. Mayor Ludwig is called upon to take his promise of climate neutrality seriously and to initiate a traffic turnaround in Austria's largest city without delay.