In a truly astonishing example of blunt government repression, the "conservative" government of Viktor Orbán banned the National Policy Institute's  "European Congress" that was to take place in Budapest from October 3-5.  Police forced the hotel to cancel the reservations for guests, put pressure on the governments of France and Russia to ban speakers from arriving in the country, and ordered the venue to break their contract with the National Policy Institute.  It is questionable whether a far-left group would face similar tactics, especially ones so nakedly exercised. Jobbik, the third largest party in the country which initially co-sponsored the conference and then backed away under the pressure.

Even more incredibly, one of the American organizers of the conference was actually arrested at the airport, detained overnight (without communication of the charges), and then deported.  Such a girlish reaction would be hilarious if it were not so pathetic.

Nonetheless, people from several nations have begun arriving in Budapest, notably conference organizer Richard Spencer of NPI, who was supposed to have been detained at the border but managed to enter the country.  He spent the day conducting interviews with various publications.

Looks like the Samizdat has returned in the former Soviet Bloc.

We will be reporting from whatever ends up happening in Budapest on Saturday.