Jobbik rally against World Jewish Congress in Budapest

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

Hungary's far-right Jobbik party has staged a rally in central Budapest in protest at the capital's hosting of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) on Sunday.

Several hundred supporters took part, despite attempts by the government to prevent it going ahead.

Jobbik said the rally was a protest against what it said was a Jewish attempt to buy up Hungary.

The party, which says it aims to protect Hungarian values and interests, is the third largest in parliament.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22413301

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Worrying that they can be so open about their anti-semitism.

[iandhr]

1. I agree with you 100% that this kind of anti-semitism is a concern.

However (sadly) its not a surprise.

[sakabatou]

2. Like my right-wing factions

They tend to buy into conspiracy theories.

[pinto]

4. Yeah. And scapegoating a segment of the country for widespread economic problem(s). (nt)

[pinto]

3. Third largest in parliament.

That is worrying. Along with that "protecting Hungarian values" statement. What's fueling this right wing trend in some EU countries, in your opinion?

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. The look for scapegoats in hard economic times?

People want someone to blame, and outsiders are a convenient target. Jews suffer both from ethnic and religious 'outsider' status, as do the Roma, another frequent Jobbik target. Jews get depicted as rich people trying to buy and control everything; the Roma as poor people, trying to steal everything. I think the people who organise Jobbik are xenophobic bigots who've always felt this way, but they've got the support from people who feel reassured when someone tells them "it's not the fault of people like you - it's them".

As an example - Hungarian police cadets:

A few moments before, I had sounded out the opinions of the young policemen and women.

"In my experience, 70 or 80% of crimes are committed by Roma," said one. "So what do I say if I stop a man, in my routine police work, and he accuses me of picking on him because of his ethnic origin?"

"The problem is not the prejudice of the majority," said another. "It is the way the Roma hate us, the Hungarians."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22295064

[pinto]

6. Yeah, I think it's always been there at some level. My friend's father's family were Czech Roma.

She relates stories passed down about routine rousts, roundups and the such. Some *were* thieves as in any community, she points out, but the majority were simply barterers, tradesmen, day laborers, itinerant workers who followed work prospects and had their own social construct. Some were fairly well off, all things considered. And yet they were the "others".

Similar in few ways to Irish tinkerers, I guess.

This apparent acceptance of xenophobia represented by popularly elected representatives is disturbing. And it's happening here as well.

[Comrade Grumpy]

9. Those cops could be working for the NYPD and talking about blacks and Hispanics.

Some things are universal, I guess.

[starroute]

7. Hungary's current government has been overturning democracy

Paul Krugman keeps posting the reports he gets about it on his blog.

One-party government isn't necessarily equivalent to fascism, and fascism isn't necessarily equivalent to anti-Semitism -- but things sure do seem to be going in that direction.

[azurnoir]

8. Jobbik is the third party in Hungary but what's scary is that they're

steadily gaining in popularity and they have always been open on their antisemitic views, this rally only garnered several hundred attendees, but they gain more seats each election