Latest news with #AnjaWindl
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
German climate activist banned from living in Austria over protests
A prominent German climate activist has been issued with a two-year ban from living in Austria, dpa learnt on Monday. Anja Windl, a 28-year-old psychology student who has lived in Austria since 2017, poses a "significant threat to public order and security," according to a letter from the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum (BFA) seen by dpa. The agency said Windl's participation in recent protests - including one outside the headquarters of the conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) in January - proved her "massively querulous tendencies." The activist was accused of writing the phrase "You stink of brown shit" on the ÖVP property in protest at the party's talks with the far-right Freedom Party of Austria over the formation of a coalition. In German-speaking countries, brown is the colour associated with fascism, as the Nazis wore brown shirts and ties. The BFA also argued that Windl had demonstrated her "far-left motivations" by claiming to feed documents from Austrian authorities and courts to farm animals. Windl intends to lodge an appeal with the Federal Administrative Court within the four-week deadline. "I will not be intimidated," she told dpa. "In times of burgeoning fascism and a burning world, peaceful protest is necessary." Windl became well known in Austria for taking part in sit-in blockades and other protests as a member of the Austrian branch of the Last Generation climate movement. According to the BFA, the student has been detained more than 10 times for administrative offences, resulting in significant fines. As she was unable to pay the fines, Windl said she has served nine weeks in prison in 2024 and 2025, and was only able to avoid further time behind bars thanks to donations.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
German climate activist faces expulsion from Austria after ban
Austria has banned a German climate activist for two years, she said on Monday, adding she would fight the decision, which could see her expelled from the Alpine EU member. Anja Windl, who has been living in Austria for seven years, became known for her protests against climate change, including glueing herself on streets to stop traffic with the Last Generation group. In a decision Windl received last week, the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum issued the two-year ban, giving her one month to leave the country. The ban was issued after the German activist was found to pose a "danger for the public order and security", according to the decision seen by AFP. "This is highly problematic from a democratic perspective," Windl, a 28-year-old psychology student, told AFP, adding she would appeal the ban. "We are moving toward civilisational collapse, and instead of holding those responsible accountable, it is those who have peacefully advocated for the preservation of our livelihoods" who are targeted, she said. Her lawyer, Ralf Niederhammer, said he did not know of any other political activist being banned from Austria. Windl faces no criminal charges, he added. The interior ministry declined to comment on Windl's case but said that a "very precise and objective examination of the relevant facts" takes place before such bans are issued. Last Generation Austria said last year they were ending their protests as they no longer saw "any prospect of success". The group regularly made headlines since 2022 blocking streets and pouring black liquid over a screen protecting Gustav Klimt's masterpiece "Death And Life" in Vienna's Leopold Museum. Among their demands, they had called for climate protection to be enshrined as a fundamental right in the Austrian constitution. Last month, German prosecutors said they had charged five former members of Last Generation with offences including "forming a criminal organisation". Dozens of group members have previously faced criminal charges for offences such as damage to property and trespassing. Some have been convicted and fined, with a handful also given jail sentences of several months. The movement announced in February that it was reorganising itself into two new groups focusing on different climate and environment-related issues -- "Neue Generation" (New Generation) and "Widerstandskollektiv" (Resistance Collective). jza/kym/cw
