Hundreds of Hungarians turned out in Budapest today at Keleti train station – the scene of terrible images in recent days when thousands of refugees were refused access to trains despite having paid for tickets – in order to take part in a festive and joyful concert celebrating cultural diversity and welcoming the flood of refugees pouring into the country in their thousands in these days.
The event was organised by MigSzol as part of a European Day of Action. The organisers said:
Now more than ever there is wave of solidarity in Hungary. Let us show it together. Hungary has become the centre of attention and the place of dramatic happenings recently. Now we shall shall prove altogether, that we lead the way in humanity, solidarity and civil power!
The artists taking part included: Euro-African Playground, Katalin Burns, Soulclap Budapest & Guests, Romengo, LB27 and Riddim Colony, and the grand finale was a rendition of Bob Marley’s classic, “Redemption Song”.
While the concert took place on ground level at Keleti Station, below ground on the level where passengers can enter the public transport system, a small tent city continued to function, with refugees taking advantage of the services provided by the small army of volunteers from organisations such as the spontaneously formed Migration Aid giving out food and water, providing tents and sleeping mats, and providing medical attention, and others such as Greenpeace providing a mobile phone charging station where people could recharge their batteries. Volunteers and young arrivals could be seen kicking a ball around, using the universally understood language of football, giving parents and the less energetic the chance to also charge their more internal batteries.
All photos by Anita Szeicz.
