The action consensus represents a binding framework for our action of civil disobedience against the construction of the urban highway “Stadtautobahn” in the East of Vienna on May 25th. It was decided by consensus by all those involved in the preparation of the action and is therefore very important to us. The action consensus should enable a transparent and well assessable action of civil disobedience. Even in an action with many people, we want to take care of each other and support each other. We invite all people who join this agreement to participate in our day of action. Only in solidarity with all participants can we make the injustices of the system visible and show possible changes.
The action on May 25th is an openly announced action of civil disobedience: we protest together with many people against the construction of the Stadtautobahn and for a radical new system of mobility “Mobilitätswende”, in which needs of people instead of profits come first. Our message is clear: Neither the Stadtautobahn nor any other freeway should be built! We set a disobedient sign against one of the most climate-damaging projects in Austria. It stands for the capitalist fossil mobility system and the failure of politics to finally bring the mobility turnaround on track. While the destructive effects of the climate catastrophe are already destroying livelihoods around the world and forcing people to flee, politicians and the car lobby refuse to be swayed in their mania for profit and growth. In view of the urgency of the climate crisis and the collapse of our mobility system, we consider it necessary and appropriate to send a clear signal with mass civil disobedience.
The civil disobedience action on May 25th offers a variety of opportunities for participation: Whether experienced in action or not, everyone should be able to participate. In addition, there are many other opportunities to participate within the #LobauBleibt action week: At the climate camp or at the big march at the social democracts’ party conference, May 28th.
We will oppose climate destruction with our bodies and resist a backward-looking mobility system. The goal is not to destroy or damage infrastructure. However, we will not let structural obstacles stop us. We will flow through or around barriers set up by police and other security forces. We will behave calmly and prudently; no escalation will emanate from us.
Our day of action will present an image of diversity, creativity and openness. Our protest is not directed against individual people (workers, walkers, drivers, policemen, etc.), but against an exploitative and climate-damaging system. The safety of the participating activists and all other participants has priority for us – we do not want to endanger or hurt anyone. With action trainings in the run-up we will prepare ourselves well for the safe execution of the action. The end of the civil disobedience action will be decided in the delegate plenaries in consultation with the support structures.
Even though we are trying to break down barriers in our protest and create multiple and diverse opportunities for participation, unfortunately, in the action itself we cannot guarantee that it will be barrier-free. Nevertheless, we want to take our protest to the streets together with everyone, regardless of their abilities and limitations. If people who would like to participate in the civil disobedience action have limitations, we would be happy to hear from you and together we can see what we can come up with and how we can support you (lobaubleibt-aktionstage@riseup.net) (PGP). Similarly, we would be happy to hear from people who would like to participate in designing low-barrier participation opportunities.
In order to do justice to the current developments around the COVID-19 pandemic, #LobauBleibt has dealt intensively with the topic on various levels in the run-up to the action week and developed a hygiene concept to keep the risk of infection low. Part of the action consensus is therefore the adherence to the hygiene concept.
We come from different social movements and political spectrums. Together we take responsibility for the success of the day of action. We want to create a situation that is as transparent as possible for all participants and in which we look out for each other and support each other. #LobauBleibt is developing an awareness concept for the action and an awareness team will be approachable during the action; as in all #LobauBleibt working groups, these will unfortunately probably be mainly white people..
In a racist system, people are exposed to different risks of being affected by repression. In this context, white-positioned people should reflect on their privileged relationship towards the police as the executing body of racist legislation. If we want to get in contact with police, we will check our motivation, our attitude and our goal carefully beforehand, if necessary together in the delegates plenary.
We see ourselves as part of the movement for climate justice and stand in solidarity with all those who resist the man-made climate crisis, against the social and ecological consequences of fossil capitalism, as well as with all those who protest against the construction of the Stadt- and Lobau-Autobahn and advocate for a mobility turnaround. Our struggles are feminist, antifascist, antiracist, antiableist, anticapitalist, against anti-Semitism and any other form of oppression. We claim to be aware of everyday and structural discrimination amongst ourselves and by our environment, and we actively work against it. We strive to offer space to those who experience discrimination and to raise collective awareness and attention to it. We strongly oppose any queer-hostile, sexist, nationalist, racist, anti-Semitic, conspiracy-ideological or other reactionary tendencies and attempts of appropriation.
#LobauBleibt #MobilitiätswendeJetzt #CrashCARpitalism