Counter Terrorism Center’s armored vehicle sprayed red in Budapest

A red sign was sprayed on Counter Terrorism Center’s (TEK) armoured vehicle on Vörösmarty Square on Wednesday afternoon, according to MNO.hu. The inscription is not entirely readable; it can be either “shame”, “shhh” or “shit”. The crew of the vehicle — which was surrounded by a fence — was sitting in a van on the other side of the decorated unit. It was revealed that the red sign was sprayed over with black by the evening, but as it was still visible, a van was brought in front of it as a cover.

Despite this mocking of counter-terrorist forces, chief advisor of internal security György Bakondi praised the preparedness of the units during the Christmas period at a press conference. He stated that Hungarian authorities do their best to keep the population safe.

The police, the Counter Terrorism Centre and the army secure the events and markets with “hidden and open means”. Bakondi claimed that due to the stable interior security, he can safely wish a Peaceful and Happy Holidays to every Hungarian family. Bakondi was also alerted by the vandalism on Vörösmarty Square. He states that the act was committed during the changing of shifts.

He also added that the unit’s task is to ensure the safety of the population, not their carrier vehicle.

TEK also announced that the primary purpose of the armoured vehicle is to block the road and decrease the width of the entrance. The moving patrols are the real backbones of the operations; they serve in two or three shifts. Usually, the three resting crew members and a BTR operator reside at the vehicle.

“During a securing operation, the focus is on execution; not on our vehicles, but on protecting the people. We are not meant to prevent such spraying incidents. It seems that we must provide extra units for this, and we will,” as the official statement goes.

The local police department was noted about the circumstances of the case.

Photo: MTI

The press secretary of TEK made a statement on Zoom.hu. According to him, a part of the BTR personnel, Budapest Police Department, riot police and the army’s local units were searching for a suspicious person. They also found another suspect near BTR, a young man who was proven to be the “artist”. He was caught on multiple footages. He waited until the police and the army passed him by, then he sprayed the BTR unit in mere five seconds. He returned a couple of minutes later, this time covered by a hood. He was trying to take a photo, but as he noticed the patrol, he ran towards the Danube. It is yet unknown whether there is a connection between the two suspects, or is it a coincidence that while one of them was chased by the units, the other sprayed the BTR.