Hungarian Jews demonstrate against rising anti-Semitism and extremism

07 April 2010

More than 1,000 Jews marched through Budapest's Old Ghetto district in response to a series of anti-Semitic incidents and the polarized political climate in the run-up to Hungary's elections next week. The marchers defied a police recommendation to keep a low profile and marched through the neighborhood of the Great Dohány Street Synagogue wearing yarmulkes. The police recommendation was issued last week, after the windows of a Chabad rabbi’s home had been smashed twice during a Passover Seder.

Over the last week, anti-Semitic graffiti has appeared in various places in Budapest, a Holocaust memorial was damaged in the western Hungarian city of Zalaegerszeg and neo-Nazis held an anti-Semitic rally in the eastern city of Tiszaeszlár, where a notorious blood libel against the local Jewish community led to pogroms in 1882-83.

Organized by the Hungarian Jewish community, the Budapest demonstration was secured by the police, and no violence was reported.

Jews in Hungary have repeatedly expressed concern about anti-Semitic overtones in the election campaign. The poll is set for 11 April, with a possible run-off on April 25, and the extreme-right Jobbik party is expected to score significant gains. Jobbik is campaigning on a platform that blames most of Hungary’s woes on Roma (Gypsies) and Jews. In 2007 it also founded the now banned paramilitary Hungarian Guard.

 

Photo above (Reuters): A supporter of the far-right party Jobbik, with a swastika painted on his head, attends a rally in Budapest on 23 October 2009

Photo below: Rally of the Hungarian Guard.

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Comments

Jack

Thu, 22 Apr 2010

In Hungary aren't fascistes!!!! This is a good political campaign subject. Baseless.

David

Thu, 08 Apr 2010

Not 1000, but less than 500.

The photo looks photoshopped. The swaskas and such symbols are banned in Hungary. If somebody uses them, the police arrest the person and that person and must pay over 50,000 forints ($250).

I don't know about graffitis, but I know there were Christian crosses, and those crosses were vandalized, just like the Christian cemetaries.

I never heard about those pogroms. Pogrom means lynching, but as far as I know, no such thing happened, the jewish people were invited to a courtroom. Is that a pogrom, if a police arrest people? The end of the case - they didn't go to jail.

This march was not organized by the Hungarian Jewish community. It was organized by Klára Ungár. (She is a homosexual politician in Hungary.)

The paramilitary groups has weapons. The Hungarian Guard has not even a pocket knife. Why this article says they are "paramilitary"? And how the folk dancer clothes are "scary military uniforms"?

I don't know who sent this article to your website, but your should fire that person. This article is full of lies, so your readers got false informations.

Sincerely, David

AHungarian

Wed, 07 Apr 2010

Stop your damn lies! Pogroms in 1882??? Paramilitary Hungarian Guard? Jobbik blaming only Gypsies and Jews for everything? If you don't stop lying, REAL antisemitism will rise, because of your false accusations! No one wants that from Hungary, but we also hate when someone's spreading lies!

(Damn, why do I think that you'll display an objective comment on the site? Bah...at least you have read this... :S )

elayne

Wed, 07 Apr 2010

A homeland for the Jews has never been welcomed and the Jews have had to fight for everything that they get. Anti-semitism is all about economics as always. The bible says to leave the Jews alone so I shall.

James

Wed, 07 Apr 2010

This photo is surely not from Hungary!!