Far-right refugee protest turns violent in Vienna
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Police forces stand in front of demonstrators during a rally by the members of anti-refugee group in Vienna, Austria, June 11, 2016.
Far-right protesters have clashed with police in the Austrian capital during rallies against the entry of refugees.
The rallies were organized by the extremist Identitarian movement on Saturday in which several people were injured and police made some arrests.
The march was called to protest what the extremist movement called the “depopulating” of white Austrians and the plight of native Europeans. A counter-protest took place at the same time and place.
Some 794 physical attacks were reported in Austria during 2014 which saw a sharp rise in attacks against Muslims, according to ZARA, a Vienna-based anti-racism NGO.
Political tensions have been running high in Austria since the recent defeat of far-right presidential candidate, Norbert Hofer, to the left-of-center candidate Alexander De Bellen.
Europe has been grappling with its biggest influx of refugees since World War II, as people flee conflict-ridden zones in Africa and the Middle East.
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