Dissent Against the Gas Industry is Silenced in Austria

CliDef is supporting local organizers and legal networks that defend climate activists who have been arrested for peaceful civil disobedience challenging fossil fuels in Austria.

A recent, steady drumbeat of arrests and prosecutions of climate protesters has set off alarm bells for movements organizing in Austria.

Legal experts and partners are concerned that the rise in legal actions by municipal authorities, private companies, and the federal government could have a chilling effect on freedom of expression in a country where the right has historically been protected.

Our Work

During a 2023 European Gas Conference, a coalition of climate action groups organized a series of actions, leading to 150 arrests under an arcane provision in the country’s criminal code. CliDef is supporting and working closely with groups providing legal assistance. The prosecutor is widely expected to pursue charges against a handful of protesters. Should these charges be successful, it could set a dangerous precedent for climate activism in the country.