On Saturday morning, October 4th, a serious incident overshadowed the opening mass of the March for Life in Vienna’s St. Charles Church.
Worshippers first noticed a bag in the nave emitting a ticking noise, and shortly thereafter, another suspicious object was discovered behind a pillar. The church was immediately evacuated, and the Cobra special unit, along with explosives experts, secured and examined the objects, determining they were fake bombs.
Authorities believe the devices were deliberately placed to incite panic and disrupt the demonstration advocating for life. The timing and location suggest a coordinated attempt to intimidate Christians.
Just hours before the march, a left-wing radical channel circulated a graphic titled “CALL TO ACTION!” glorifying violence against Christians, showing the church in flames with the slogan “Give the fundamentalists hell!” A chalked threat referencing recently assassinated U.S. conservative activist Charlie Kirk was also found nearby.
Jan Ledóchowski, chairman of Christenschutz, condemned the act: “We strongly condemn this attempt to intimidate innocent people and disrupt their right to freedom of assembly. The discovery of this fake bomb marks a new, frightening escalation of hostility towards Christians. I am truly worried about what might happen next.”
Marek Pucalik, Rector of St. Charles Church, and Johannes Pasquali of the Friends of St. Charles’ Church added: “This is a violent attack on the freedom of religion as a fundamental and human right. We are not afraid and will not be intimidated by violence!”
Despite the scare, the “March for Life” itself remained peaceful, with over 2,500 participants demonstrating in support of life, undeterred by the attempts at disruption.
