On July 26, at the opening night of the Salzburg Festival, students disrupted the festival with a pro-Palestine protest.

According to reports and videos, students interrupted Minister of Culture Andreas Babler’s opening speech, shouting “Stop the genocide” and “Free Gaza now.” Others yelled, “Blood on Your Hands.” The protesters also unfurled banners.

The protestors were later removed, and six were arrested.

The Salzburg Festival did have a speech by Anne Applebaum, the US-Polish historian, who did acknowledge the horrors of the Gaza Strip and “called on Israel to respect international humanitarian law and to ease the horrific suffering in Gaza.”

Additionally, Federal President Van der Bellen who gave the opening address, said,  “The situation in Gaza is devastating and cannot be justified in any way on humanitarian grounds. But please don’t forget October 2023, the worst pogrom of the post-war period.”

.@anneapplebaum opening the Salzburg Festival pic.twitter.com/XcknrO3WZi

— Radek Sikorski (@radeksikorski) July 26, 2025

BEAUTIFUL RESISTANCE✊
STOP THE WORLD FROM FUNCTIONING‼️

We have to stop the world from trying to live a normal life.
THERE IS NO NORMALITY DURING A HOLOCAUST.

Students stormed the Salzburg Festival in Austria. pic.twitter.com/TOQS8BGjD0

— Earth Hippy ️ (@hippyygoat) July 26, 2025