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Vienna police are preparing for an operation on Saturday as the far-right Identitarian movement holds a demonstration on the Kahlenberg alongside two separate counter-protests.
Police expect possible provocations between the different groups and potential attempts to disrupt the demonstrations, ORF reported.
The Identitarian demonstration has been registered as a commemoration of the second Ottoman siege of Vienna in 1683, with organisers expecting around 200 participants. The group has announced that its rally will begin at 2pm on the Kahlenberg.
At the same time, two counter-demonstrations are planned nearby. One has been registered as a stationary protest on the Leopoldsberg, while another demonstration involving around 300 people is expected in the Heiligenstadt area, according to ORF.
Police said officers would be deployed in sufficient numbers to prevent the groups from coming into contact and to avoid clashes.
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Previous Identitarian march was banned
Saturday's demonstration comes less than two months after police banned a planned Identitarian march through central Vienna.
The July demonstration was prohibited because a counter-demonstration had already been registered along the same route.
Under Austria's Assembly Act, lawful demonstrations have what's known as a 'protected area' around them, where another assembly can't take place at the same time.
That wasn't enough to stop Saturday's gathering from going ahead, however, and police have not banned the Identitarian event on the Kahlenberg.
Anyone travelling through the Kahlenberg, Leopoldsberg or Heiligenstadt areas on Saturday afternoon should be prepared for a heavier police presence and possible short-notice disruption connected with the demonstrations.
Key vocabulary
Versammlung - assembly or gathering
Gegendemonstration - counter-demonstration
Standkundgebung - stationary protest or rally
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