Thousands in Budapest demand autonomy for Szekler Land

(MTI) – Thousands gathered in Budapest’s Heroes Square on Monday afternoon to demand autonomy for Szekler Land.

Arpad Gyorgy-Mozes, head of the For Szekler Land Society, read out a petition and called on the Romanian government to start negotiations with organisations advocating autonomy for Szekler Land and to respect human rights.

Referring to the Szekler martyrs who revolted against Habsburg rule after Hungary’s 1848-49 freedom fight and were executed in 1854, Gyorgy-Mozes said that demonstration was to remind the Romanian government that Szeklers’ love of freedom and desire for autonomy is just as strong as it was 160 years ago.

The speaker vowed perseverance, and said that “we will be a stone in the shoe of European decision making… at each step they will feel the pressure and the pain, they will know that there is a problem”.

Gyorgy-Mozes referred to Romania’s earlier pledge to ensure self-government for ethnic minorities in areas where they constituted a majority, and warned that the country’s planned administrative reform would probably involve integrating Szekler Land into other regions with a Romanian majority, which would “eliminate the remaining institutions of Szekler interest representation”.

Simultaneously with the demonstration in Budapest, the petition was read out at similar events in 19 other cities across the world, including Targu Mures (Marosvasarhely) in Romania, Bratislava, Vienna, London, as well as cities in the US and Canada, Gyorgy-Mozes said.

budapest-szekler-3 Thousands gathered , Heroes Square (Budapest)

The crowd then marched to the Romanian embassy. Participants lit candles in front of the building, and sang the Hungarian national and the Szekler anthems.

Demonstration in Marosvásárhely (Romania)