The Austrian Chancellor, Christian Stocker, has associated the arrival of immigrants from outside Europe with the serious disturbances recorded last weekend in countries like France and Italy, coinciding with the massive demonstrations and social protests.
"We must be honest. With the migration of recent years, attitudes and conflicts that are not ours have also been brought to Europe," Stocker stated in a message posted on social media.
The leader has denounced the "appropriation" of the protests by "violent vandals." "The demonstrations have given way to raw violence, looting, and intentional destruction. I condemn this brutality in the strongest possible terms; there is nothing that justifies it," he emphasized, considering that "those who throw stones at police, set fires, and loot businesses do not want to dialogue," but rather "want chaos and want the state to retreat."
"In Austria, we will not allow it (...). We will consistently defend our way of life. Our freedom, the equality of rights between women and men, and our rule of law are non-negotiable," he warned, insisting that those who "threaten" this European model "are an enemy of our open and pluralistic society." "That is why we will act with all severity against extremism. Those who do not share our values have no place in Austria," he stressed.
Meanwhile, French authorities have repudiated the "disorder" and episodes of violence that occurred during the massive marches on Saturday in the main cities of the country, called to denounce the poor state of public education, the high cost of living, and police violence in recent weeks.
Aside from the marches, serious altercations and attacks against municipal headquarters were recorded, such as that of the Limoges City Hall, which was set on fire and destroyed, in addition to looting in numerous businesses. At least 2,397 people were arrested and 997 police officers were injured, according to figures provided by the French government.