Lies, Damn Lies and Sajóbábony

After a vicious attack by Gypsies

A swarm of media reports have come out of this small town, almost every national press outlet on both the Left and Right has been united in retelling a version of events, of violence and fighting between groups in the town’s thoroughfares, that has only one common feature: it is categorical rejected by everyone who was actually present, from the town’s Mayor, to the Gypsy population in the street.

Were the local gypsy population, most of whom admitted to having never heard of either Jobbik or the Hungarian Guard a week ago, really saying that a Socialist politician had told them the Guardspeople were coming to kill their children?

How could such a common script come out from both sides of the media so soon and so consistently? Why was a blockade imposed which permitted only the false reports to come out and dominate the news agenda? Why, even when these initial reports had been totally debunked by confirmed factual testimony the following day, are both the media and government maintaining the line, days later, that is supported only by these totally flawed initial reports? And how were these met by such an instantaneous reaction at the Ministerial level, and to what purpose?

In such an environment, clearly Gábor Vona, the Jobbik president, had no option other than to apprise himself of the realities in Sajóbábony on the ground, at the first opportunity.

According to the on-the-spot reports by Barikád, the town had been completely sequestered by the police. Yet Gábor Vona’s passage remained unimpeded, as he and members of Jobbik, travelled in to pay a visit first-hand to the female grocer who was beaten up by Gypsies at the start of the weekend’s events.  (continues after the subtitled video of the Jobbik president's visit...)

Vona later discussed the issue at hand with a group of local Gypsies, which was witnessed by several news crews. The Gypsies expressed their desire for work and security (none of those present mentioned the availability of odd jobs, and the public works projects available; and the apparent reluctance of many to get their hands dirty). Vona's question as to whether they knew anything about the Jobbik’s, or the Guard’s, programme or policies, was met with an unequivocal expression of total ignorance. With respect to Sunday's event the Gypsies present testified that “somebody” had told them that, “these guardsmen were coming here to kill us.”

Many local Jobbik sympathizers also arrived at the scene but remained in the school gymnasium at the Police' request. The Jobbik president and his escort, intend consulting with the local party membership at the completion of the president’s tour.

What follows is a blow-by-blow account of the events which then followed during Vona's visit, as reported by news media.

11:39 Gábor Vona held a press conference in front of hundreds of attendees gathered at the local sports facility. Csaba Kállay, the national Gypsy Chief, and his associates participated occupying the front rows.

11:59 The press conference began with the singing of the Hungarian National Anthem. The Gypsies present sang along also. The local Gypsy Chief and the Gypsies present listened closely to Gábor Vona's speech.

12:04 Vona described Jobbik's program with respect to both the Gypsies and the Police. Jobbik intends to immediately vet all individuals in leadership positions, once in government, for evidence of corruption. All senior Police personnel involved with, or having acted on, the deliberately repressive or anti-democratic orders of Ferenc Gyurcsány or Gordon Bajnai will be summarily removed from their posts.

12:10  Vona stressed that the current municipal system had utterly failed, and that the Gypsies should now reorganize their internal system of representation. Such a new system might be based on traditional Chieftanships to which Jobbik would entrust the majority of Gypsy community affairs. The social benefit system must be radically overhauled, but the law-abiding Gypsy population had nothing whatsoever to fear from Jobbik. The Gypsies present applauded Vona's speech.

12:15  Vona then repeated his party’s demands. That a re-institution of a Gendarmerie was needed with the specific remit to deal with the policing issues unique to the countryside, alongside a root-and-branch reform and moral re-legitimization, coupled with a fair remuneration, for the existing national police force. On the question of Hungarian-Gypsy relations he declared that: the Hungarian nation had always been tolerant and accepting of others throughout its history. The Gypsies have been treated as nothing more than and exploitable voting bloc by the governing parties of Hungary, who have appointed one or two stooge Gypsy politicians as window-dressing, none of whom has ever wielded any real power or influence.

12:40 Csaba Kállay, the national Gypsy Chief was given an opportunity to speak. He first emphasized the importance of peace between the ethnicities, and then proceeded to announce that he could mobilize 20,000 gypsies if he needed to. He reflected that, “a possible civil war is in some people’s interest.” The exact words of Kállay were that, “It is in the interest of those who strive for this country, and are seeking to colonize it."

Kállay also added categorically, that he was amongst those that wanted to continue to live in Hungary, and eat Hungarian meals, poultry, beef and pork. But, to quote the national Gypsy Chief verbatim once again, “there are those, who do NOT eat pork.” His emphasis.

Attila Lakatos, the Gypsy Chieftain for Borsod, also rose to speak and offered what he called words of peace and expressions of alliance to the members of Jobbik present. Vona responded by cautioning Lakatos, that the ball was very much in the court of all those peace-loving Gypsies, who had been carrying axes on the previous night. That recent events meant the local community required credibility, much more than it needed additional empty words, and rose-tinted talk of reconciliation – in the absence of concerted action.

A significant proportion of the Gypsy population must, Vona insisted, commit themselves to returning to honest work, education and abiding by the code of criminal law.

According to a report from Kurucinfo's correspondent: Lakatos went on to offer Vona his hand, only to find this gesture rebuffed. "I will only accept a handshake from anyone, including a Gypsy,” insisted Vona, “when they demonstrate themselves worthy of it.” The Jobbik president went on to ask the entire gathered crowd, why he should feel obliged to do so, following the Borsod Chief’s behaviour during the previous weekend.

Lakatos and his entourage were clearly offended, at Vona’s so public insistence that they had deliberately acted in bad faith. The Gypsy Chief went on to insist, that he felt himself able to shake hands with anyone, given that his hands were clean. He also added that the rejection on the part of Vona meant that he felt only those who followed Jobbik and the Guard had a place in the country. Vona retorted by saying that, "A rightful place in this country is only held by those who try to work, insist on having their children educated and endeavour to abide by its laws."

The Jobbik president, along with the Jobbik council head György Szilágyi, then remained in Sajóbábony collecting information on the incident.