Vienna  - After a headmaster issued a kissing ban in an Austrian middle school, 20 young couples protested Monday by holding a smooch-in at the regional school authority in Linz.

Last week, the headmaster of the middle school in Gunskirchen in Upper Austria province said students should refrain from such "rituals belonging to the intimate sphere," as there had been incidents of boys demanding kisses from girls as a form of greeting.

During his discussions with the student activists on Monday, school council president Fritz Enzenhofer went out on a limb when he defended his position and asked the protesters to "show a little more love," according to Austrian news agency APA. (dpa)