Remembrance Day of the Tatárszentgyörgy Murder

Policy Response DateFebruary 23, 2010 Country: Hungary Address: Tatárszentgyörgy General Type: Racist violence Racism and discrimination phenomena: Anti-roma/zinghanophobia
Groups affected / Interested in: Roma & Travelers

The series of attacks against Roma in Hungary led to the formation of the Dignity for All Movement in March 2009, initiated by academics and civil society activists to protest the violence against Roma and to draw attention to the threat posed to the society’s integrity by anti-Roma hatred.

The event[1] on 23 February 2010 was aimed to remember the 1st anniversary of the double murder in Tatárszentgyörgy, where the home of a Roma family was set on fire by a Molotov cocktail, and a 27-year-old man and his five-year-old son were shot and killed. The organisers stressed that the Hungarian government failed to provide adequate compensation to the family of the victims, and to re-establish the affected communities trust in the police and in the state.

The participants met at the spot of the double murder, then visited the local cemetery, where a religious ceremony was administered.

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[1] Index/MTI, 'Megemlékezés Tatárszentgyörgy egyéves évfordulóján', Index, 23. 02. 2010., http://index.hu/belfold/2010/02/23/megemlekezes_tatarszentgyorgy_egyeves_evfordulojan/ (Date of access: 13.12.2011.)