Austria: Socialist players suspended from football club for anti-fascist activities

ON 27 October, CWI* members, Margarita D-ller, Lucia D-ller and Irene Müller were suspended from Hellas Kagran, the football club they played for in Vienna whose president is Martin Graf, a prominent far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) MP.

Laura Rafetseder, Sozialistische Linkspartei (SLP - CWI in Austria)

This was the day before Graf, who is also a member of the extreme right student fraternity Burschenschaft Olympia, was elected as Third President of the Austrian parliament. Graf was given this position with the votes of the Social Democrats, the Peoples' Party and Austria's Future (founded by Jorg Haider) as well as FPÖ members of parliament.

Just hours before their suspension, these three socialists took part in an anti-fascist demonstration against Graf's nomination for this position. When they arrived at the football ground for training, they were told that they had been suspended from the club for taking part in the demonstration and for campaigning against Graf.

Previously Graf organised an FPÖ rally, described as a 'barbecue' of the local FPÖ youth organisation (Ring Freiheitlicher Jugend - RFJ), on the football ground during the recent general election.

Margarita, Lucia and Irene showed their opposition to this by not taking part in the training that took place at the same time. They then organised an anti-racist bloc of fans during a match two days later, only to find Graf and a number of what seemed to be either FPÖ or RFJ members, present at the ground.

Graf's entourage kept making sexist comments about the players and comments about 'the left'.

The three women went public about Graf's abuse of his position at Hellas Kagran. With the media taking up the issue and his election to this parliamentary position due, Graf obviously felt threatened and suspended the three.

Now, an ex-coach of the youth team of Hellas Kagran, encouraged by the resistance of the three women against Graf, has also gone public about his expulsion from the club in the past. He had also been expelled for criticising Graf's role as president of the club.

Hellas Kagran had previously been a member of the ASKÖ, a football association close to the Social Democrats with an anti-racist and anti-fascist tradition. During Graf's presidency the club had left the ASKÖ - with most of the club's members not being informed.

Neo-Nazi links

Olympia has links with the German neo-Nazi NPD and invited David Irving, the infamous ideological figure of the far right, to Austria where he was arrested for "denying the Holocaust".

Olympia regarded Norbert Burger, an Austrian neo-Nazi who was responsible for bombings in South Tyrol (part of Italy but regarded by the far right as part of Austria) as an "outstanding" Olympia member. Graf, while claiming that he did not support all Burger's views, said he "always respected him".

In the wake of the FPÖ's election gains, violent neo-Nazis are gaining confidence. The number of attacks by neo-Nazis on anti-fascist demonstrations and other events (concerts, meetings) is increasing. CWI member Jan Rybak was injured during an anti-FPÖ demonstration before the elections. On 26 October a left youth club was attacked. Members of Olympia attacked a demonstration against Graf the day after his election.

The social democrats and conservatives (SPÖ and ÖVP) are currently negotiating about going back into government together. If they form another government, it will be one of attacks against the working class. With rising unemployment, the economic crisis will lay the basis on which the far right can gain ground, if there is no left political alternative.

The three anti-fascist footballers will not accept their suspension. They made it clear that they want to play, but not with Graf as president of their club. They will continue to oppose Graf and the FPÖ and to build a campaign against the far right and the politics it stands for.

They have already won press attention, as well as a number of messages of solidarity from fans and players from their own club and from other teams.

Messages of support to: slp@slp.at

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