2009 student protests in Austria

Personalities from the worlds of education, politics, civil society, trade unions, the arts and culture, and the media have commented on the protests and showed solidarity to some extent.

The protests started with the occupation of the assembly hall of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna by a group of students and teaching staff on 20 October 2009.

In consultation with the rector's office, several vacant rooms at the Türkenwirt-building of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, were occupied on 28 October.

The occupiers’ demands included a transformation of the vacant building into a long called for “students’ house” (“Haus der Studierenden”).

On the morning of 21 December 2009, the 61st day of the protests, the Audimax of the University of Vienna was evicted in the presence of the police after a resolution of the rector's office.

Furthermore, the second, more conservative German quality newspaper "Die Presse" initially observed the movement rather cautiously and mainly criticized the nature and goals of the protest.

"Der Kurier", a daily newspaper with the widest-circulation in Austria also hit a similar mark, emphasizing on the necessity of restricting the access to higher education.

On the other hand, "Krone" editorial writer Claus Pandí criticized the "misjudgments" of the politicians, who, according to him, collectively ignore and deny the university injustices.

On November 5, 2009, the widely-known German newspaper "Die Zeit" dedicated its title page to the student protests in Austria with a red-white-red background.

A "students' house" ("Haus der Studierenden") that had been claimed for years was made available in the up-to-then vacant second floor of the property “Türkenwirt” (Tüwi) by the rector's office of the ÖH.

At the University of Salzburg, commitments were made by the rector's office to fulfil part of the receivables such as in the case of regular listener's congregations or greater participation in the faculty councils.