The Washington-based National Policy Institute had planned a three day gathering here. called the European Congress. Announced speakers included Alexander Dugin, a former close advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Jared Taylor founder of the American Renaissance.
Under pressure from the usual suspects and enemies of freedom, Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orbán ordered Interior Minister Sandor Pintér to “use all means available” to prevent the congress. Pintér said the event “is built on openly racist ideological grounds, participants openly promulgate race-theory, therefore the expression of their ideas runs counter to Hungary’s Basic Law”.
However, according to The Budapest Beacon (October 2, 2014) ” the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (TASZ) says Pintér’s ban is contrary to the Basic Law that was drawn up by his own party. TASZ said while it strongly opposes the ideas that will be propounded at the congress, “freedom of expression equally applies to those spreading racist theories”. According to them, there is no criminal act as long as nobody’s rights are violated. Until then it can be considered peaceful and legal. “So far there has been no sign that this will not be the case,” it wrote.” NPI organizer Richard Spencer insists: ” “This kind of free expression is explicitly protected by Hungary’s recently enacted constitution. Our fear is that much about the event might have been ‘lost in translation’ or, worse, that the ministry is responding to untruthful messages sent by those who oppose the congress, as well as the very notion of traditional European identity.”
Attendees arrived from Britain, Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Holland, Germany, Belgium Canada, the U.S., Romania, Croatia, France, Slovakia and Hungary.
The Hungarian government denied Mr. Dugin a visa. NPI founder Bill Regnery, the scion of a prominent Chicago publishing family, was detained at the airport in Budapest, held overnight and deported. A Budapest hotel where attendees had been encouraged to register arbitrarily cancelled registrations booked through the conference. The nearby convention centre where the conference was to be held also cancelled under government pressure.
French author Philippe Vardon was approached by the French police on behalf of the Hungarian police and was threatened that, if he came to Hungary, he’d be arrested. “this is outrageous,” Jared Taylor told tonight’s gathering. “France and Hungary are members of the Schengen Group (committed to free movement across borders). He was told he was ‘a notorious racial activist,’ and, therefore not allowed in.”
Similarly, Arktos publishers and the nationalistic Jobbik Party who were to be active participants withdrew at the last minute.
On Friday evening, a number of attendees gathered in “The Clock” cafe. Around 10:00 p.m., 50 burly Hungarian police entered. They closed off all exists. About 50 patrons were told they could not leave. The police checked IDs. Many people had only a driver’s licence. Richard Spencer was detained and arrested. He repeatedly asked what he had done wrong, what the charges were. He has not been seen since. About another 30 patrons were, detained, put in police vehicles and driven to their hotels to show their passports. One embarassed policeman told an English attendee: “I am sorry for fucking up your evening.” More police vehicles were parked along the narrow street. The other 20 attendees, including myself, were detained in the bar but then let go after two hours. — Paul Fromm
A further report on tonight’s talks will follow.
