A security guard used pepper spray against a crowd outside a venue in Vienna's Leopoldstadt district, contaminating several people, police said. The incident happened on 1 November 2026 at about 1:15 a.m. Police were called because of an enormous rush of people at the entrance. When officers arrived, contact with the venue’s security staff was initially difficult due to the high crowd density. As officers tried to gain an overview and plan next steps, a security employee allegedly deployed pepper spray toward the people in the entry area. As a result, several people were contaminated. Around 40 people then had to be cared for by the Berufsrettung Wien. Two 18-year-olds and a 19-year-old were taken to hospital by the rescue service. A police officer was also reportedly injured by the pepper spray and was treated on scene, but continued working. Police have brought charges: a 23-year-old security guard was reported on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm (schwere Körperverletzung).