Far-right organizations have applied for their “breakout day” commemoration as an anti-fascist commemoration, according to the Action and Protection Foundation (TEV). The day commemorates the attempt by the Nazi-allied Arrow Cross to break through the Siege of Budapest in 1945, when Soviet and Romanian troops had the Hungarian and German-controlled Budapest under siege.
Under the guise of a Holocaust commemoration, a far-right group was to hold an honor day event, but police have initially refused to allow Nazis, neo-fascists and other far-right organizations to hold a rally, according to a post on the Facebook page “Nem kinövöm, hanem ez egy komoly politikai mozgalom” („I’m not outgrowing it, it’s a serious political movement”), known as a political meme page.
„We commemorate and pay tribute to our Jewish compatriots who returned to the eternal during the siege of Budapest, which was senselessly prolonged by the Nazis during the darkest days of the Holocaust. We protest with dignity against the neo-Nazi march”
– this is how the official purpose of the meeting was described in the application.
However, the police’s decision, which was reviewed by Mérce.hu, reveals that they believe the applicant was trying to deceive them and
was in fact trying to reserve the area at the top of the Vienna Gate in Buda Castle for a far-right event,
from where traditionally anti-fascist counter-protesters „greet” far-right groups marching from Kapistran Square towards Moscow Square (Széll Kálmán Square).
At the very least, „in response to a request from the assembly authority, the partner organization provided information in a classified document that demonstrated that
the meeting in question could be linked to the commemoration of „breakout day,”
and also pointed out that there were certain things in connection to the applicant’s identity,” indicating that the applicant did not necessarily reveal his true intentions to the police, Mérce writes.
Two other applications were received by the police on the same day and at the same location. One was to commemorate the victims of the Siege of Budapest, while the other was to remember the „heroes” who had fallen during the breakout.
As with the above, the authorities banned both commemorations
citing the decision of the Curia Kgyk.VII.39.086/2022/8.
Both the decision and the police justification remind us that since the Nazis and other extreme right-wing elements are aware that it is forbidden to promote Nazi war criminals and the ideology behind them, they try to designate something else in their applications for the purpose of their gathering. In their own forums, however, they clearly and explicitly refer to the rally as the „Day of Honour” or in German „Tag der Ehre,” indicating that the participants of the outbreak are remembered with respect in the contemporary far-right arena.
