Austria: what we understand approximately the foiled Islamist attack on the Pride March in Vienna

They had deliberate to behave in the course of the Vienna Pride March. On Sunday, Austrian police said they'd arrested 3 men, aged 14, 17 and 20, on suspicion of making plans an Islamic assault on Vienna’s Pride, which took place the day earlier than.

Who are the three suspects?

These 3 men, aged 14, 17 and 20, are three Austrians of Chechen and Bosnian origin. They are suspected of being sympathizers of the jihadist organisation Islamic State (IS). They had been arrested earlier than the begin of the parade, in line with the pinnacle of the Austrian intelligence enterprise, Omar Haijawi-Pirchner. Their domestic turned into also searched.

“They shared extremist content at the net. In this context, the suspects centered at the Rainbow Parade of Vienna as a capability goal,” the Interior Ministry stated in a assertion. During arrests on Saturday, the authorities determined guns, firearms and sharp edges, and different proof in opposition to the three men.

One of them was already known to the police. They had deliberate to use “bladed weapons or motors” throughout the Pride march, police informed newshounds.

Enhanced parade security

Austrian authorities preferred to attend until Sunday to show the arrests, to keep away from causing anxiety among parade members. However, safety had been tightened.

The Vienna Pride March became as a result “capable of take place frivolously and with out important incident”, notes the Ministry of the Interior. Some 300,000 people marched for LGBT+ rights.

In November 2020, an IS sympathizer opened hearth in crucial Vienna, killing four humans and injuring 23 others earlier than being shot dead with the aid of police. It was the primary jihadist assault in Austria.