The Budapest-based European Roma Rights Centre says these and other groups are contributing to an atmosphere of hatred towards Hungary's up to 800,000 Roma. The organization's Programmes Director Tara Bedard told VOA there have been fire bombings against Roma families in recent weeks. Nobody was injured but she said the violence resembled earlier deadly attacks. "In the last two years nine people, nine Roma, have been murdered in Hungary," said Bedard. "The persons believed to be responsible for those attacks have been taken into police custody. And the trial of those individuals have not yet started. But since those individuals were taken into police custody, numerous attacks have taken place in the meanwhile. Most recently in March and April there were a number of attacks targeting Roma in two different locations in the country." Activists say Roma, who often lack adequate housing and basic facilities, are suffering from attacks and discrimination across Europe. Roma and non-Roma standing in line for traditional Hungarian Goulash soup, and bread, during Saturday's picnic in Budapest, told VOA they want to help end tensions.
The event's chief organizer Eszter Eva Nagy agrees. "There is a lot of hidden tension, she said. "And if we can speak about those things, or if we can just spend one nice afternoon together with another, different person, I think it's something we want to reach." Nagy says she was inspired to organize Saturday's rare picnic by her previous experiences in the United States, where she worked as a volunteer for the election campaign of President Barack Obama. Just as Mr. Obama became the first U.S. African-American president, she hopes qualified Roma will one day be able to take a more prominent role in Hungary's political life and help create a more peaceful future for the country.
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