BXL - VIE - BXL
I’ve been living in Vienna for more than a decade meanwhile. Moving to Brussels made me a visitor there for the first time: going there, leaving my family in Brussels, sleeping at wonderful friend’s houses, meeting people,… a new perspective.
Well, I had a few intense days, as I am more than linked to there, catching up with news, politics, culture etc. After not only the recent attacks on freedom of press or the intimidation of individuals and the pressure on NGOs in Austria, it was obligatory to take part of the #donnerstag demonstrations against the current far right Austrian government, which take place every Thursday eve and is organised each week by a different organisation of collective.
… zooming out and changing perspective is a real privilege which makes one see things differently sometimes … what kind of triggered me most this time in Vienna was the newly introduction of the prohibition of consuming food on the metro. After implementing a prohibition of alcohol consumption in the area of Praterstern in Vienna and the prohibition of full-face veil this is the third big impact into one individual’s liberty in Vienna and Austria. There are more constructive ways of organising live in a pluralistic society! Still, in Vienna the biggest problem seems to be malodorous food in public transport —— god save the BIM***
…well, saying goodbye to Vienna and coming back to Brussels felt quite good and right for the moment. Here have been communal elections yesterday, Sunday 14th of October, and I am happy and inspired by the fact of living and working in a neighbourhood and city with an election results that I wish to be similar for the next elections in Vienna.
So let us #donnerstag and see you on the streets of Vienna the 20th of December again***
For the whole blog of the brusselsARTproject click here.