A loud demonstration moved through Vienna on the evening of February 12, the 90th anniversary of the heroic February fights in 1934. The Karl-Marx-Hof, then a central location of the resistance, became the place of memory of those fighters who are rightly called heroes.
Exactly 90 years ago, cannon fire thundered in the Karl-Marx-Hof when the workers' houses inhabited by the Austrofascist Bundesheer took fire. In many parts of Austria, thousands rose in the February days with the weapon in hand against Austrofascism. Despite the military defeat, these fights were crucial for the further development of the resistance struggle against Austrofascism and later against the occupation by the Nazis. The demonstration on the anniversary was largely combative: transparent, flags, slogans, march and pyrotechnics ensured that the topicality of the teachings of this struggle was demonstrated 90 years later.
The joint solution of the demonstration was "memory of fighting". This was also expressed in the speech choirs and content of the demonstration, which was directed against the current democracy and social reduction, as well as the increasing prohibition policy. Sliding against inflations and wage robbery alternated with calls against upgrade, against NATO and for the defense of Austrian neutrality. Palestinian flags could also be seen, as a symbolic expression of international solidarity and friendship, but also against the censorship and judicial justice of the rulers in relation to the Palestine solidarity.
What was striking was a red block on the demonstration, which has a significant impact on the speech choirs. This block particularly emphasized the importance of the then revolutionary KPÖ, which stood against the retirement policy of the Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAPÖ), today's SPÖ. This is also important in this respect, since on this 90th anniversary the leadership team of social democracy tries to stage itself as the "party of February fights". However, those who fought and died in the bloody days of February, however, stood against the line of social democratic party leadership.
The combative atmosphere on the demonstration showed that the participants did not expect that the rulers will "come to reason today". On the contrary, the slogan spread "The February fights already showed - fight for the revolution!" Across the demonstration. Today it is not important to be nostalgic, but - as important parts of the demonstration showed - to apply the teachings of these fights!