Several hundred antifascists were prevented from storming the prestigious building. Instead they led a demonstration through the inner city, burning barricades and breaking the windows of banks and other corporations. Some managed to break through the police security cordon around the Hofburg, shooting fireworks at the building and breaking windows. The fraternity corps inside answered by showing the Hitler greeting.

The fraternity corps and student leagues are a mixture of ultra-conservative, racist and anti-semitic student organisations. They had called for a festive gathering for germanic-nationalist groups.