A left-wing account of the 2006 riots

A pro-government commentator accuses DK vice chairman Debreczeni of constructing a propagandist conspiracy theory in order to save the image of his boss, former PM Gyurcsány in a book on the 2006 riots.

“Democratic Coalition Vice-President József Debreczeni tries to save the face of Ferenc Gyurcsány, his boss and his party leader,” Tamás Pihál comments in Magyar Nemzet on Debreczeni’s book on the 2006 riots. Although Debreczeni calls his book an investigative report, Pihál categorizes the work as a piece of “political pornography.” The author cannot substantiate his main thesis that the brutal police reaction to the riots (see BudaPost March 6) was provoked, or probably even orchestrated from behind the scenes, by the then opposition Fidesz, Pihál writes, adding that instead of fact-finding, the book’s arguments are based on unchecked hearsay and speculation. The book has been cherised by some left-wing journalists who claim that Debreczeni reveals the truth about the 2006 clashes. Pilhál reproaches the author for the absence of any explanation of why the incompetent police let the violence escalate. Debreczeni hints that the violent demonstrators seemed to act in an organized manner, which leads him to think that the opposition was involved in an attempted coup d’État.

Pihál finds it tasteless that the left-wing journalist downplays police violence by claiming that Fidesz MP Máriusz Révész was injured in a drunk accident, rather than beaten up by the police. Although the policeman who beat up Révész could not be identified in the investigation after the clashes, two policemen were tried and sentenced to various prison terms for not intervening to protect him. Pilhál finds it even more egregious that Debreczeni faults Gyurcsány only for not having appointed a tougher Interior Minister, who would have clamped down on the rioters in an even harsher manner.

Tags: 2006, Debreczeni, Democratic Coalition, Gyurcsány