Rubicon Claims Responsibility for Protest Near Austrian Envoy Residence

ATHENS (Sputnik) - Greek anarchist group Rubicon said on Sunday it had carried out a protest campaign near the residence of the Austrian ambassador in Athens in response to Vienna’s calls to halt the relocation of refugees among the EU member states.

"The new Austrian chancellor [Sebastian Kurz] called for scrapping the relocation of refugees among the EU member states, and urged the European Union to use military means to establish strict border control … Refugees are part of our global class family, we will not leave them alone," the statement read.

The Greek Star TV channel reported earlier in the day that anarchists approached the Austrian ambassador’s residence on motorcycles and threw flyers near it.

The group also accused the Freedom Party of Austria, which is part of the country’s ruling coalition, of being linked with far-right movements.

Rubicon is notorious for actions against foreign embassies and organizations located in Greece. In the most recent case earlier in May, the group vandalized the office of the UK charity Oxfam over its involvement in a child sex abuse scandal.

Greek Citizens Protection Minister Nikos Toskas told the Kathimerini news outlet earlier on Sunday that Rubicon’s protest near the Austrian ambassador residence was on the verge of being legal. The group’s actions did not violate the democratic expression, thus its members should not be arrested in this particular case, Toskas explained.