Austrian 9/11 cake protesting government coalition causes uproar on social media
An owner of a patisserie in Vienna has shown his dissatisfaction with the Austrian governing coalition by creating a sugary sculpture representing the 9/11 terror attacks, infuriating Austrians.
Thomas Kienbauer, the owner of the Alexander patisserie in Vienna, created an unusual cake that depicts the New York twin towers in the colors of the Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the conservative People’s Party (ÖVP), two parties in the current governing coalition in Austria.
The planes flying into them represent the opposition: the Greens and the right-wing Freedom Party (FPÖ). Another plane atop one of the towers, representing the one that crashed into the Pentagon, embodies Austrian liberals.
Konditor baute #9/11 für Wien-Wahl nach! Vienna based confectioner creates 9/11-cake http://t.co/BoNfz0FMlxpic.twitter.com/U3dx6KmPoa
— heute.at (@Heute_at) 29 апреля 2015
Thomas Kienbauer told the newspaper Kronen Zeitung that that he was so dissatisfied with the policies of the ruling coalition that he felt he should make a bold statement. “Sometimes, you have to present an exaggerated view of the situation if you really want to make a point,” he added as he explained why he chose to express his political standpoint in such an extreme form.
Not everyone seems to be happy with his statement. His sugary creation has created uproar among Austrians, who haven’t hesitated to post critical comments online. Many people described his 9/11 cake as “awful,” “unbelievable” and “offending”.
SPÖ und ÖVP als Twin Towers, Grüne und NEOS als Flugzeuge. 9/11 als Torte. Ich glaub das nicht. http://t.co/KmhNTpxCRf
— Lou Lorenz (@lou_lorenz) 29 апреля 2015
[Social Democrats and People’s Party as twin towers? the Greens and the Freedom Party as planes? 9/11 as cake? That’s unbelievable!]
Schrecklicher Vergleich! Wenn man bedenkt wieviel Menschen gestorben sind 9/11 nachgestellt | http://t.co/7IV9VgTjbDhttp://t.co/wZJZtiRW99
— EvaDichand (@EvaDichand) 29 апреля 2015
[Awful comparison! When one understands that he depicted 9/11 that claimed so many lives…]
@Heute_at ihr habt ja wirklich irgendeine psychische erkrankung. alle zusammen. unglaublich.
— Adam™ (@skoops) 29 апреля 2015
[This made me almost physically sick. Everything lumped together. Unbelievable.]
ein konditor und sein hang sachen zu vermischen. 9/11 + wienwahl = WTF!??! http://t.co/noIj7duybcpic.twitter.com/gOF9xAA6zA
— Simon Tartarotti (@SimonTartarotti) 29 апреля 2015
[This pastry-cook tends to mix incompatible things. 9/11 + local elections in Vienna = WTF?]
However, Kienbauer says it was not his intention to offend anyone. What he wanted to do, according to the Kroner Zeiting, was to encourage people to reflect upon the current political situation in Austria. Just as the horrific 9/11 attacks changed the world, he created his confectionary sculpture in the hope that change would come with the end of the current ruling coalition.
