Peter Magyar Upholds Left's Violent Traditions

Violence has always been part of the political toolbox of the Left, as we have seen even in recent years. Now, the president of the Hungarian opposition Tisza Party - a new leftist-liberal force that has grown stronger at the expense of the old left-wing parties that have shrunken into near obscurity - is continuing the tradition with his provocative, arrogant and condescending actions. On Tuesday, party chief Peter Magyar took it to the next level by using not only verbal, but also physical violence against the Fidesz party's communications director.

Internal Affairs State Secretary Attila Fulop, Fidesz-KDNP Communications Director Tamas Menzer, Tisza Party President Peter Magyar (from left to right) (Source: Facebook/Tamas Menczer)

The Tisza Party president maintains the left-wing tradition of using not only verbal aggression, but also physical violence. One of the best examples of this rough style was presented by Peter Magyar on Tuesday, when on his nation-wide tour he stopped at a children's home in Pecs, where Tamas Menczer, the communications director of the ruling Fidesz-Christian Democratic(KDNP) alliance, and Attila Fulop, state secretary of the Ministry of the Interior, were waiting. They got into a heated exchange, and the Tisza Party chairman was unable to restrain himself and use only verbal aggression, but resorted to harsher means, according to the  video posted by Tamas Menczer.

At one point in their argument Magyar aggressively called on the communications director to "get lost" from the scene, but he didn't stop at words and also gave Menczer a shove.

The opposition's aggressive behavior and attempts to intimidate political opponents have been an often repeated phenomenon in recent years.

Unprecedented scandal in Parliament

In the National Assembly on December 12, 2018, the Left used violence unprecedented since the change of regime in Hungary. Representatives of the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP), Democratic Coalition (DK) and Dialogue - The Greens occupied the steps leading to the House Speaker's podium to prevent the opening of the parliamentary session and the amendment of the Labor Code. Six months after their massive electoral defeat, opposition politicians sought to counter their societal rejection with aggression. After House Speaker Laszlo Kover appealed in vain to the opposition MPs to clear the steps to the podium, stop the disturbance and allow the constitutional functioning of the National Assembly, the speaker was forced to open the sitting from his seat and entrusted Janos Latorcai to preside over. The deputy house speaker of the National Assembly was also forced to do so from his seat, as he, too, was prevented from taking the podium.

In the meantime, opposition MPs in the Assembly were blasting sirens, blowing whistles and shouting. Green Party (LMP) members were throwing papers from the gallery. Later, the opposition also loudly booed Hungary's President Janos Ader.

The disturbances continued outside the Parliament building as well, Jobbik started a bridge occupation march, and several groups linked to George Soros mobilized protesters on line to head for the demonstration on Kossuth Square. In the early evening, demonstrators marched to the Fidesz party headquarters on Lendvay Street, where they broke through the line of police and some started climbing the building.

Smoke grenades hurled at police

Tempers flared on the streets as the protest, initially billed as peaceful demonstration against the amendment to the Labor Code, quickly turned violent outside Parliament. Glass bottles, firecrackers and smoke bombs were constantly being hurled at the security forces protecting the Parliament. The country's Christmas tree erected on the square was not spared either and the sleds underneath, to be donated to needy children, were smashed.

Among the violent demonstrators was the then president of Momentum, Andras Fekete-Gyor, who admitted in a live ATV broadcast that he threw a smoke grenade at the police. He justified his behavior by saying that he thought the smoke grenade was aesthetically pleasing. "It creates a very nice big puff of smoke, which obviously makes people more excited and gives the whole thing a certain atmosphere," the politician said cynically and on a live television broadcast urged others to follow his example. Also throwing smoke grenades was Fekete-Gyor's party colleague, Bendeguz Szarvas-Koppany.

Both politicians have since been sentenced by the Budapest Court of Appeal. Andras Fekete-Gyor and Bendeguz Szarvas-Koppany were handed down suspended prison sentences for commiting violence against public officials.

The Socialist VP scuffled with police officers

A few days before the scandalous parliamentary session and the violent left-wing demonstration, Imre Komjathi caused a scandal. The then vice-president of MSZP wanted to charge into the closed off Kossuth Square, but the police prevented him. According to a statement by MSZP, the politician was taken to the ground by police and had to be taken to hospital because of a knee injury he sustained during the scuffle.

The video, however, shows Imre Komjathi running towards the police with an MSZP flag and shouting "help me" to the surrounding protesters, one of whom can be heard calling Hungary a "fu...d up country".

The footage also shows that the police merely blocked the path of Komjathi while he and some of his companions tried to push their way through the line of police unsuccessfully with their backs, but no other action was taken. The police themselves also denied that they had taken any action against the party VP, as they wrote: "On December 8, 2018, no demonstration had officially been registered for the Kossuth Square in Budapest's 5th district, so there was nothing for anyone to reoccupy. Imre Komjathi suffered injuries on Alkotmany Street after the organizer of the event declared the demonstration over. Imre Komjathi was not beaten to the ground by police officers and no police action was taken against him."