VIENNA — Austria’s first openly gay politician was the victim of an attack at Friday’s annual LGBT pride parade in Vienna.
An unknown assailant sprayed butyric acid at Ulrike Lunacek, leader of the Austrian Greens’ delegation to the European Parliament, as she was giving an interview on the sidelines of the parade, reports The Local.
Lunacek and the interview team were not injured.
While there has never been an attack previously at Austria’s pride event, Lunacek said that isolated cases such as this demonstrate that the fight for tolerance, acceptance and respect in Austria is not over.
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Butyric acid, categorized as a toxic substance by the Environmental Protection Agency, is an oily, colorless chemical made predominantly of fats with a rancid smell, and is the primary cause of the foul smell associated with human vomit and flatulence. It is a common addition to stink bombs for this reason.
Around 150,000 people took part in the parade, making it the largest in Austria to date, according to organizers.
