Gay traffic lights scrapped in Austria

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...dom-Party.html

Gay traffic lights scrapped by Austria's right-wing Freedom Party

The traffic lights were installed to coincide with the Eurovision Song Contest, and to demonstrate 'tolerance and openness'

The Austrian city of Linz is set to lose its gay-themed pedestrian traffic lights.

The signs, depicting same-sex couples holding hands, were first introduced in Vienna in May to celebrate the Eurovision Song Contest in May, and to demonstrate the Austrian capital's tolerance and openness. City authorities said at the time they also hoped the distinctive new lights would attract more pedestrians' attention and improve road safety.

Linz later followed Vienna's lead with gay-themed lights of its own - but they're now being removed due to opposition from the right wing Freedom Party. The Freedom Party has long been opposed to the lights: after they were introduced in Vienna it announced plans to lodge a criminal complaint against local councillor Maria Vassilakou for allegedly contravening traffic regulations and wasting taxpayers’ money at a cost of 63,000 euros.

"Traffic lights are for traffic and should not be misused to impart advice on how to live your life," said Linz's Freedom Party councillor Markus Hein, who believes that the lights "completely unnecessary".

Green Party representative Severin Mayr described the scrapping of the lights as "shameful", accusing the council in Linz of reversing the promotion of "openness and peaceful coexistence." The Freedom Party made huge gains in September's regional elections over growing concerns about Europe's migrant crisis. It won 30.4 per cent of the vote in the state of Upper Austria, the country's industrial heartland, a striking improvement on its performance in the state’s last election in 2009 when it took half as many votes with 15.3 per cent.

The party is closing in on the more centrist conservative Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), which lost 10.4 per cent of its vote from the last election but managed to retain its lead to win 36.4 per cent.

All across European nations common sense proper right-wing parties are rising because people are sick of being taken for fools by the politicians.

It's good enough that they're removing these ridiculous traffic lights but it is even better that they're planning to start criminal proceedings against the morons who wasted taxpayers money on them in the first place. It's high time the goons in parliament and town halls pissing our money up the wall were held accountable and publically taken to task. For far too long they've been able to get away with murder (or mass rape *cough Labour-Rotherham, Rochdale etc*) by calling anyone who calls them out a racist, nasty, a bigot or homophobic/whatever other insult they can come up with.

Well done the Austrian Freedom Party.

Thoughts?

[FlyingJesus]

lmaooo what who thought that was a good way to show support ever omf

Not sure that spending a similar amount to replace them all again is a great idea though, might as well just leave them really and let them become some historical thing like the crossing lights in East Germany

[Matt]

I really think 63,000 euros could've been better spent on something that represents tolerance and openness, and not traffic lights. All of that just for them to be taken down!