Sign the petition against violence during Budapest Pride
On 5th July 2008 Pride was held in Budapest. Regrettably the event was the most violent in the country's history. The participants and police were attacked by right-wing extremists throwing Molotov cocktails and acid leaving ten people hurt.
Petition against violence!
The Republic of Hungary has reached a dividing line when the gay parade came under obscene attack on July 5th. If this can happen, anything is possible.
We are convinced that no responsible, democratic citizen, can let the events go without saying anything. We are dismayed, that people due to their believes or their sexual orientation have to suffer physical or verbal violence in 2008, in Hungary, a country which is a Member State of the European Union.
On July 5th, on Andrássy Avenue, two Hungary’s were opposite each other. One is in our view a minority that is aggressive, who is trying to ease its on fears, with the rejection, the physical annihilation of others, and on the other side, there were the peaceful, tolerant citizens of Hungary. This latter group, whom we are a part of - are in the majority. Nevertheless, we are convinced that when a frustrated minority, behaves in such an atrocious, aggressive way, by terrorizing the peaceful majority who wishes to celebrate, then it is not the time for a calm analysis. Instead we must declare passionately: this is enough, this cannot be tolerated. It is intolerable, that extremist groups feel that they are allowed to do this, that they feel, they have serious backing.
We feel it would be welcome, if all players in the political system would undergo a thorough self-reflection, whether they in the past decade, said or did anything that the extreme right scum could interpret as being in their support. If one finds anything like this- and certainly one can- than it is time that we distance ourselves from these wrong words, mistaken steps. It is dismal that certain political and media forces try to act as if the street violence, the extreme right scum, were acceptable or usable for their own means. This puts in danger the democratic, moral base of the Republic of Hungary.
Therefore, we state our solidarity with all those who have suffered physical or verbal abuse from the nationalistic, extreme right elements.
We ask all of the members of the political elite, the analyst consultancies, and all the well-meaning reading and writing capable citizens, to clearly state their objection against the vandalism, racist and homophobic violence. We consider it self-explanatory that all parliamentary parties assent with our declaration.
Tibor Dessewffy, DEMOS Hungary Foundation, Kornélia Magyar, Progressive Institute
