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Citizens Against the Far Right (Civilek a Szélsőjobb Ellen Mozgalom)
International Day of Peaceful Protest Against the Far Right
Saturday 15 August 2009, 5.30-10 pm
Budapest (5th district), Városház park
The Citizens Against the Far Right movement was born when the Hungarian Leftwing Feminist Network held a peaceful demonstration on 15 August 2000.
To date, 54 civic groups, including anti-Fascists, Jewish organizations, Roma organizations, gay rights groups, green organizations and humanists, have come together under the umbrella of Citizens against the Far Right, to protest against the racism and anti-Semitism that is increasingly widespread in Hungarian society.
The two pressing reasons for our demonstration now are the following:
First, neo-Nazi groups from across Europe plan to come in their thousands to Hungary on 15 August 2009 to commemorate the death of Rudolph Hess (Hitler’s deputy). Numerous neo-Nazi organizations and their supporters plan to occupy popular public squares across Budapest.
Second, in the past few days, Hungary has witnessed yet another racially-motivated fatal shooting of a 45-year-old Roma woman, and the critical wounding of her 13-year-old daughter, now in a medically-induced coma to help her survive her gunshot wounds. Racially-motivated violent crimes have become an everyday occurrence from the smallest village to the streets of the capital city.
Citizens Against the Far Right welcomes all those who reject hatred, homophobia, anti-Semitism, who want to fight against national fundamentalist, national socialist ideas, who reject exclusion, racism and violence to take part in an International Day of Peaceful Protest Against the Far Right, on Saturday, 15 August 2009, in Budapest (5th district), Városház park (City Hall Park, near Deák tér Metro), from 5.30 to 10 pm.
An anti-democratic, anti-Semitic, and racist minority that openly advocates political terrorism is running rampant in Hungary today.
They openly proclaim their violent nationalist-fundamentalist, militant, hateful slogans, favoring discrimination against ethnic groups and alternative lifestyles. The results of the 2009 European Parliamentary elections show that Hungarian society is not willing to accept cultural differences, nor to accept that all ethnic groups have an equal place in contemporary Hungary.
Radical Far Right groups are offering easy solutions to that layer of Hungarian society which is frustrated with the political culture, and seeks security in the face of economic crisis. They use twisted logic and historical falsification to mislead the frustrated masses with the promise of a ‘better future’. We can see through their efforts to glorify the perpetrators of crimes against humanity in twentieth-century Europe. Their actions are destroying the international reputation of our country, and creating fear in the hearts and minds of our democratic citizens.
Under these circumstances, we, the Citizens Against the Far Right – with the support of international democratic forces – are committed to fighting against the violent politics and program of the Far Right.
We can only fight barbarism with humanism!
Local politicians have not been invited to lead the demonstration; rather, we have invited a number of prominent public figures to speak, including the philosopher Miklós Gáspár Tamás, poet András Simon, writer Ákos Kertész, and feminist historian Andrea Alföldi. The demonstration will also welcome a number of musicians and groups on stage.
International communities and activists are standing together to fight the recent rise of the Far Right.
Citizens Against the Far Right (Civilek a Szélsőjobb Ellen Mozgalom)
antiracismmovement@gmail.com
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