Muslims chased a group of Austrian students away because they intended to grill pork meat in the Ottakring Forest in Vienna, Exxpress reported. The group was told to leave and insulted by a group of Muslims.
The four young law students planned to spend an afternoon grilling at the popular Steinbruchwiese grilling area. The students said the atmosphere initially appeared normal despite the crowded conditions.
When we arrived, there were already a lot of people grilling, and the place was quite busy. It seemed like there were a lot of people or families with a migration background, which didn’t bother us at all.
The group had brought traditional Austrian meats to grill, including pork belly, chops, and ribs—all common staples during the country’s grilling season. However, the students said the reaction from some of the larger Muslim families present quickly changed the atmosphere from uncomfortable to openly hostile.
As soon as they took out the meat to grill, two men approached them and asked if it was pork meat. They answered it was, to which the men, apparently Muslims, responded by telling them to leave and to go somewhere else. The young Austrians feared the men would resort to violence, as they stayed nearby, and the rest of their group stared at them angrily.
“We packed up then because we didn’t want any arguments or fights,” one of the students explained.
For many Austrians, eating pork is considered an ordinary part of daily life and a national culinary tradition. The confrontation at the grilling site has therefore prompted questions over whether tolerance in multicultural public spaces is being applied equally to all groups.
The incident illustrates well how in Austria, as in many other European countries, locals are expected to change their ways of life to accommodate the sensitivities of immigrants. The question is how long the native populations are willing to put up with becoming second-class citizens in their own homelands.
