Anti-Black Friday protest turns Vienna landmark into trash pile video

Activists from the environmental group Global 2000 staged a striking protest in Vienna on November 26, dumping a large pile of trash near the Plague Column on the Graben, one of the city’s most visited tourist landmarks. 

The demonstration was aimed at drawing attention to the environmental impact of “Black Friday,” the annual shopping marathon, as per TASS.

According to a press release from the organisers, the protest highlighted the dangers of consumerism and the “fast fashion” industry — a system in which clothing is mass-produced at low cost, collections are constantly updated, and consumers are encouraged to overbuy through heavy discounts. The activists emphasised that such practices have severe environmental consequences.

“Fast fashion is one of the most damaging business models of our time,” the activists said. “Vast quantities of inexpensive clothing are produced in poor conditions, worn rarely by consumers, and quickly discarded. This generates massive amounts of waste and contributes significantly to carbon emissions and microplastic pollution.”

Global 2000 called on Austrian lawmakers to introduce legislation aimed at curbing fast fashion. The group urged measures to prevent the mass disposal of clothing, prioritise product quality over cheapness, and establish sustainable production standards that align with environmental and social responsibility principles.

By Tamilla Hasanova