Against the ‘Day of Honour’ 2024 in Budapest!
In the course of the events around the ‘Day of Honour’ in Budapest in 2023, antifascists were subjected to massive repression. Since then, law enforcement agencies have been publicly searching for activists. The German and Hungarian police use narratives from right-wing conservative and fascist media and construct criminal associations. You can find out more on the website of the solidarity groups: https://www.basc.news https://budapest-solidarity.net/
Meanwhile, fascists from all over Europe continue to use Hungary as a safe haven and a place to network. Here are three highlights from last year:
In May 2023, numerous (extreme) right-wing groups met in Budapest as part of the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Committee) conference. The event was organized by the US association of the same name, which is close to Donald Trump, and the Fidesz-affiliated ‘Alapjogokért Központ’ (‘Center for Fundamental Rights’). The conference is a melting pot of right-wing conservative to openly fascist individuals, associations and parties.
Just two days later, the ‘European Fight Night’ took place in Csókakö, 80 kilometers from Budapest. The martial arts event attracted neo-Nazis from all over Europe (source: https://exif-recherche.org/?p=10966). This was made possible in part by the mayor of the village, who himself belongs to the Fidesz party.
Later in the year, the association ‘Homeland and Tourism’, which organizes the official walk along the escape route of German Nazis and Hungarian fascists on the ‘Day of Honour’, received state funding. In the process, 70 million forints – the equivalent of over 180,000 euros – flowed from the state coffers into the pockets of the organizers (source: http://merce.hu/). The fact that Fidesz supports neo-fascist events or organizations that organize such events is nothing new. The continuity of these openly right-wing connections to the government is neither denounced nor even named in Hungary or other EU states.
Despite the immense repression and other adversities of the past, such as the pandemic, we as a campaign, together with our comrades from Budapest, can record significant successes: In 2023, the greater mobilization for the counter-protest meant that for the first time since the Nazi-glorifying event took place, the Blood & Honour commemoration had to be moved to the outskirts of the city, making it impossible for the neo-Nazis who had come from all over Europe to hold a fascist heroes commemoration in Varosmayor Park or at the Budapest Castle.
The Budapest comrades want to continue the successful mobilizations of previous years in February 2024. Despite the serious criminalization of anti-fascist protests in Germany and Hungary, we find it all the more important to be there now and to show our presence at the counter-demonstration to the ‘Day of Honour’. Budapest and Hungary have not been an easy place for leftist, anti-fascist protests in the past and will probably be even less so in the near future. Nevertheless, we do not want to be intimidated by the wave of repression and do not want to leave the active antifascists in Hungary alone! We therefore call on you to travel with us to Budapest again this year.
Campaign Stop Nazi Glorification! January 2024