Back in September of 2009, Jaro and I decided to get out of the flat and check out the gay pride parade that was supposedly going on. That particular parade had become synonymous with far right neo-nazi protestors ever since the year before, when a couple protestors dropped acid and eggs on the parade from a window above the procession. It got a lot of press.
When we left the house, Jaro was commenting that he was sure we would come upon the nazi protestors. For some reason I felt the opposite. I guess I still had this notion that something like that would just never happen, that I would never be caught up in such a terrible mess of humanity. I guess it was that, and straight naivety.
Yes, I had seen Hungarians protest against the police (it’s become a common thing over the last couple years). Yes, I was aware of the gaining popularity of the Hungarian Parliamentary party named Jobbik, the farthest right group in the country. And yes, I know Hungary still has not come to complete terms with their gay population.
After all this, I was still incredulous to find myself right smack in the middle of a crowd of neo-nazis. I kept an eye on the people around Jaro. He’s not exactly white.
We started talking to two tourists who were wondering what was up with the angry crowds and police in full body armor.
So what is going on?
It’s a Nazi rally against the gay pride parade.
Are you serious?
Very.
Turns out they were trying to find the gay pride parade, just like us. They couldn’t believe the reason they couldn’t find the parade was because of a roadblock, built to keep the Nazis out. The very people we were shoulder to shoulder with.
They make a cameo in the film, btw. The girl on the bike at the end of the video, who looks scared as all hell. Yeah, welcome to Budapest.
Seeing as this was my first far right protest, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was near the roadblock, and there was a gay man right up against the fence, trying to motion the police over. Around him people were casting sidelong glances and making comments to his face that shouldn’t be written about. I felt sorry for him, because he stuck out like a sore thumb. And he was supposed to be proud of what he was, and walking in a parade. Instead, he walks out of his door to the exact opposite. Finally the police let him through the barricade, but there was a moment when the crowd around the poor guy looked like they were going to strike.
It’s amazing to see such a shitty example of modern humanity.
After a couple minutes it became clear the police were about to make their move and push the protestors back. Jaro starts saying, Ok its about to start, lets go! I, of course, with my little point and shoot camera recording away, I say, No wait wait, hold on. Like Im some sort of reporter. Jesus.
It was when the cops started shooting tear gas into the crowd it was time to go.
You wont hear it in the video, but I whinny like a little girl as I’m running from the riot police. Looking back, it was the funniest part in a very unfunny scenario.
When they were finished with their push to disperse the crowd, the cops began to filter back to the main roadblock. Everyone else seemed to be stunned. The two tourists, the ones that were wondering what the fuck was going on, had stayed with us when we all started running. They still looked like they didn’t know what the fuck was going on.
Which was not unsurprising. What the fuck is going on in this country?
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