From a correspondent: Richard B Spencer, president of the National Policy Institute, was arrested in Budapest last night as Hungary’s government stepped up its attempts to disrupt a gathering of nationalists, traditionalists and identitarians. It is not known if he is still in custody or has been deported. It is the latest development in a blatantly naked series of co-ordinated repressive measures against dissidents which has seen the NPI’s chosen venue forced to cancel, hotels forced to cancel bookings and Russia and France asked to hinder the movement of conference speakers. Even Jobbik withdrew its endorsement as did the Budapest-based publisher Arktos, which withdrew its support with great reluctance.

Around 60 police officers in a dozen police vehicles converged on the Clock House Cafe in Buda late on Friday evening and took the names and passport numbers of everyone in attendance. Only Spencer and another unnamed American associate were arrested and taken away. Present were 60 nationalists, traditionalists and identitarians from across Europe and the USA. Spencer gave a V-for-Victory sign from the back of the police bus as he was driven away.

It is an escalation of a posture adopted by the government of President of ‘conservative’ Viktor Orban who has been shamelessly pandering to left- wing voices from the European Union and the USA. He promised to take all ‘legal’ means to prevent NPI’s annual congress from being held in Budapest. It was scheduled to take place on October 3 – 5 but the original venue cancelled owing to pressure and the organisers were forced to take their meeting ‘underground’.

It is thought that the government of Orban, is seeking to ingratiate itself with the European Union and other US influences by showing that tolerance and freedom of speech were not to be extended to those who speak out for traditionalist, nationalist and anti-immigration viewpoints. It is the latest example of breathtaking double-standards across the length and breadth of the European Union – it is hard to imagine a left-wing conference of any stamp being forcibly cancelled by a government.

One Englishman who was arrested and released said “It was Hungary’s version of ‘kettling’ which the British police use to lock down nationalists demonstrators at home. We were held in the restaurant for three hours while they took names. There were only two arrests.” Most of the other delegates continued eating, drinking and singing Flemish folk songs to about 1.30am. The restaurant staff could not have been more understanding and invited us all back the next day. The police obviously had little idea what was really going on.”