Austrian police claimed that Vienna's famous balls were targeted by a jihadist threat and that the largest of them were subject to protection measures.
“Members of the Islamic State terrorist organization regularly broadcast messages on the internet calling for attacks around the world, including in Europe,” police wrote in a statement. “In one of them, which can be seen as a call” to take action, “the 'Viennese ball season' was mentioned alongside numerous events in the United States and Europe,” she added.
Austrian law enforcement recalled that they had developed “standardized processes already applied for all major events organized in the capital, which will also be implemented during major balls”. The press release does not give details of these measures, for security reasons.
Austria is officially already in a state of alert since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. In December, the Viennese police reinforced their presence at the Christmas markets following an attack in Germany that caused six dead and more than 200 injured.
In 2020, four people were killed in a jihadist attack in Vienna. The tradition of balls is still very strong in Austria, where tens of thousands of people waltz to classical music every year. The famous Vienna Opera Ball takes place on February 27.
