1989. március (számozatlan) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
Lfe©f£™ia^a @Sfiffl£ Editor: György Krassó * 24/D Little Russell Street * London, WC1A 2HN * Tel. 01-430 2126 (írom abroad 441-430 2126) 2nd March, 1989 Protest in Budapest Against Imprisonment of Czechoslovakians This aftemoon at 4.30 pm there vas a great rally on Vörösmarty Square in Budapest, demanding the immediate release of the writer Vaclav Havel and of Czecho- slovakian civil rights activists who were arrested during démonstrations in Prague, then brought before the courts and sentenced. The demonstration vas organised by twelve independent groups and about 1500 gathered in the square. The protesters raised a picture of Havel, Gzechoslovakian flags and bilingual banners inscribed with the slogans: "Freedom fór Jana Petrova and fór Vaclav Haveli", "Jakes No, Havel Yesi", "We are Right, You are SwineJ". The Young Democrats Alliance collected signatures to petition fór Havel*s release and proposed in their statement that the world famous Czechoslovakian writer should get the Nobel Peace Prize. By the lion fountain on Vörösmarty Square twelve speeches were made by repre- sentatives of the Young Democrats Alliance, the Raoul Wallenberg Union, the Czecho- slovakian-Hungarian Cultural Friendship Circle and other organsiations. Róbert Braun reminded those present that the Gzechoslovakian state does still nőt acknowledge the martyr-death of Jan Palach. The writer György Konrád compared Vaclav Havel to Salman Rushdie, as both of them are persecuted in the name of a totalitarian ideology. Paul Staes, a Belgian MP and the leader of the European Parliament’s delegation currently in Budapest, alsó spoke. The police did nőt interfere in the protest bút gathered in considerable force in the back streets. The protesters were nőt allowed to the Czechoslovakian Em- bassy, so the organisers handed two announcements,demanding the release of those imprisoned, to Tibor Chozan, a counsellor in the Czechoslovakian Socialist Repub- lic*s Embassy. The counsellor took the documents and in exchange gave them a photocopy of an article in the Bratislava paper Igaz Szó ("True Word") entitled "Who is Vaclav Havel?". During the meeting a message from Charter 77 was read out which is as follows: "Dear Hungárián Friends! While these people are imprisoned and persecuted Czecho- slovakia will remain the neuralgic spot in Europe, the symbol of anti-perestroika and the bastion of those who undermine the Helsinki process." Havel‘s wife alsó sent a message in which she said that the situation in Czechoslovakia is like that of the fifties, which they never thought would retúra. Finally Olga Havel sends belief, bravery and lőve to the Hungarians and to themselves. The meeting finished at 5.45. Subscribers can use or quote the Hungárián October newsletters in totál or in detail as long as the source is acknowledged.
