The Silencing of the NPI in Budapest

From a correspondent: Richard B Spencer, president of the National Policy Institute, was arrested in Budapest last night as Hungary’s government stepped up its attempts to disrupt a gathering of nationalists, traditionalists and identitarians. It is not known if he is still in custody or has been deported. It is the latest development in a blatantly naked series of co-ordinated repressive measures against dissidents which has seen the NPI’s chosen venue forced to cancel, hotels forced to cancel bookings and Russia and France asked to hinder the movement of conference speakers.  Even Jobbik withdrew its endorsement as did the Budapest-based publisher Arktos, which withdrew its support with great reluctance.

Around 60 police officers in a dozen police vehicles converged on the Clock House Cafe in Buda late on Friday evening and took the names and passport numbers of everyone in attendance.  Only Spencer and another unnamed  American associate were arrested and taken away.  Present were 60 nationalists, traditionalists and identitarians from across Europe and the USA. Spencer gave a V-for-Victory sign from the back of the police bus as he was driven away.

It is an escalation of a posture adopted by the government of President of ‘conservative’ Viktor Orban who  has been shamelessly pandering to left- wing voices from the European Union and the USA. He promised to take all ‘legal’ means to prevent NPI’s  annual congress from being held in Budapest.  It was  scheduled to take place on October 3 – 5 but the original venue cancelled owing to pressure and the organisers were forced to take their meeting ‘underground’.

It is thought that the government of Orban, is seeking to ingratiate itself with the European Union and other US influences by showing that tolerance and freedom of speech were not to be extended to those who speak out for traditionalist, nationalist and anti-immigration viewpoints. It is the latest example of breathtaking double-standards across the length and breadth of the European Union – it is hard to imagine a left-wing conference of any stamp being forcibly cancelled by a government.

One  Englishman who was arrested and released said “It was  Hungary’s version of ‘kettling’ which the British police use to lock down nationalists demonstrators at home.  We were held in the restaurant for three hours while they took names.  There were only two arrests.”  Most of the other delegates continued eating, drinking and singing Flemish folk songs to about 1.30am.  The restaurant staff could not have been more understanding and invited us all back the next day.  The police obviously had little idea what was really going on.”

The conference attendees went ahead with an impromptu gathering in a restaurant on Saturday night and were addressed by two of the original four speakers, Tom Sunic and Jared Taylor both of whom were given standing ovations by an audience of about 150 which included attendees from Japan, Mexico, Canada and Russia especially for the occasion.  The event was also attended by BBC Radio, Die Welt and a freelancer who claimed to be working for Foreign Policy.
Ironically the entry of Hungary into the European Union was only possible after the country passed certain democratic tests.  Todays events reinforce the suggestion that left-wing hegemony was always the goal and ‘conservative’ democratic states like Hungary do not mind what they have to do to fit in with the powers that be in Brussels.
Addendum, 10/5:

Richard Spencer of the National Policy Institute expects to be deported from Hungary on Monday morning after being kept in police detention more than 48 hours after being arrested at a gathering of nationalists, traditionalists and identitarians at a bar Budapest on Friday evening. He is still in detention though police have confirmed they are not investigating any public order or travel documents offence.
The Hungarian government’s determination to disrupt  a legal gathering of the  NPI’s European congress marks a worrying
escalation in state oppression of dissident right meetings. What has caused more concern is that it seems to have been organised with the co-operation of the governments of  France and Russia, both of which have either asked speakers not to attend or disrupted travel arrangements.

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