How has the Hungarian-Canadian community commemorated the Uprising in the past?
The commemorations from the outset acted as a unifying force. Members of different generations joined forces in paying tribute to the spirit of the Uprising. The earlier commemorations were more forceful, more political and emotional. The wounds were fresh. Hungary was occupied by a foreign power. A tyrannical government, set up over the nation by the Soviet Union, labeled the refugees as a bunch of unpatriotic counter-revolutionaries. Family members, relatives and friends at home were persecuted, imprisoned, or executed. In response, passionate speeches were given, denouncing the atrocities of the government. Demonstrations were held in front of the Soviet Embassy in Ottawa; cavalcades of cars drove through the cities of Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, banners and tricolour national flags sticking out of their windows. In Victoria, a replica of a Russian tank was hauled along busy Douglas Street. The national and local Canadian media carried long articles about the revolution, based on
