Austria limits freedoms

The Austrian government on Tuesday decided to extend its "Verhetzungsparagraph" - Section 283 of its Penal Code which forbids "public incitement to hostile action" - on the basis that such a move is needed in the fight against terrorism. The daily Die Presse is critical: "The so-called incitement paragraph is being extended, ... broadening the protection it has hitherto granted to religions and ethnic groups now to a hodge-podge list of groups based on anything from skin colour to disabilities and age to sexual orientation. ... This fits in with the popular trend of increasing the power of the state. ... But that's just why it's dangerous. Because the loss of freedom is a gradual process. ... For that reason the protests must start now. Those who wait before standing up in protest until the last step has been taken and the end station of the limitations on freedom has been reached will find out that it's too late and they've lost the freedom to do so. Perhaps it was a warning of fate that yesterday's decision took place on April 20 [Hitler's birthday], a holiday celebrated by one such end station."

» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Austria
All available articles from » Michael Prüller

» To the complete press review of Wednesday, April 21, 2010