1988. október (246-270. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
i\ « Hí V) tö QARMM Q ©SlífflL Editor: György Krassó * 24/D Little Russell Street * London, WC1A 2HN * Tel. 01-430 2126 (írom abroad 441-430 2126) 262/1988 (E) 23rd October, 1988 Protest in Budapest on October 23rd In a comraon declaration made by the Young Democrats Alliance workers group and the independent art group INCONNU the following text-appears: "We condemn the Hungárián Democratic Fórum*s special agreement with the government and we do nőt understand the backward step taken by the other organisations which announced the protest". This was read out by Géza Buda and József Bánlaki this aftemoon by the Astoria Hotel and laterin Vörösmarty Square before assembled protesters. It refers to the silent march organised this aftemoon on the anniversary of the revolution by five democratic groupings - the Hungárián Democratic Fórum, the Network fór Free Initiatives, the Young Democrats Alliance, the Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Friendship Society and the Historical Jurisdiction Committee - which owing to threats from the police they cancelled yesterday evening, asking their members and supporters nőt to assemble at the pre-arranged meeting places. In spite of this several hundred people appeared at the meeting points this morning, the majority of them young people. There were a great many police present, they took away many national rosettes and asked a lót of people to identify themselves. They tried to prevent the gathering by setting up cordons. At Gellert Square - where Tibor Pakh was arrested and taken away to the XI. district Police Headquarters - represent- atives of the YDA and the Network asked the protesters to disband bút the majority did nőt listen to them and after singing the Anthem they set off towards the Bem statue in small groups. About 3-400 gathered at Batthyány Square where the Anthem was sung a second time and greetings from the Polish-Hungárián Solidarity Committee in Warsaw were read out and distributed in a bi-lingual pamphlet. The police did nőt allow anyone access to the Bem statue which was cordoned off, instead they marched to the Sanctuary Lamp and to the Petőfi statue. In Váci Street Ferenc Kőszeg spoke about the revolution and Tibor Pakh who had in the meantime been released said a few words. The police then arrested Pakh again along with Róbert Pálinkás a young member of the independent art group INCONNU, there is still no news of their wnereabouts. László Rajk the younger and two other people were taken away bút later released. In Vörösmarty Square József Bánlaki stressed that young people will nőt submit to police threats and will nőt renounce their right to comrnemorate. Commemorations fór the *56 revolution have already taken piacé this week. On Wednesday evening the Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Friendship Society held a celebration in the Metró Club, yesterday evening the independent videó group "Black Box" eommemorated in the I. district Culture House and at the same time the Republican Circle group met at Tibor Philipp’s Budapest fiat. In front of an audience of 50-60 Katalin Mikes, Tamás Mikes and József Bánlaki read out poems such as Gyula Illyés*s "A Sentence on Tyranny" and contemporary documents. This aftemoon and this evening the Jurta Theatre was completely packed. A two-hour commemoration was held at 4 pm and at 7 pm which was pút together from documents of the revolution and the reprisals by relations of those executed and by those sentenced in 56. A young mán wearing a red-white—green rosette was beaten up by police on his way to the performance and afterwards several young people were assaulted by police in the Népliget metró station while on their way home. Subscribers can use or quote the Hungárián October newsletters in totál or in detail as long as the source is acknowledged.
