The Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ) has filed a criminal complaint against unknown perpetrators after supporters of Universitatea Cluj tore down Székely and Hungarian flags in several settlements across the Székely Region, RMDSZ president Hunor Kelemen announced on Facebook on October 6, 2025.

“Tearing down Székely flags is unacceptable!” Kelemen wrote, emphasizing that RMDSZ will seek accountability from those responsible for damaging the Székely community’s symbols.  “We will never look away. We will always demand justice whenever our symbols, our flags, or our community are attacked,” he said.

Kelemen’s post referred to a video shared on the Universitatea Cluj football fans’ social media page, which showed supporters ripping down a Székely flag hanging on a house gate before running away with it. The video, posted on the U CLUJ Fans Facebook page, was later deleted.

According to Kelemen, the U ultras “proudly claimed” that, on their way home from a match in Csíkszereda/Miercurea Ciuc, they tore down Székely flags displayed on homes in several villages. Local residents also reported damage to fences. The RMDSZ leader attached a screenshot of the fans’ post, which included the message in Romanian:

 “We are Romanians, and we will defend our people and our history. We will not allow anyone to display on Romanian soil any flag other than that of our national heritage.”

Several mayors from Székely Land confirmed to the Maszol news portal that on Saturday afternoon, October 4, unknown individuals tore down Székely flags in villages around  Székelyudvarhely/Odorheiu Secuiesc and Székelykeresztúr/Cristuru Secuiesc. Acts of vandalism were also reported in the communes of Etéd and Szentábrahám. According to Maszol, the perpetrators were Universitatea Cluj fans returning home after their team’s match against FK Csíkszereda in Csíkszereda/Miercurea Ciuc — a game that ended in a defeat for the Kolozsvár/Cluj-Napoca side.

Etéd’s deputy mayor, László Szőcs, told the portal that in the nearby village of Énlaka/Inlaceni, individuals from a van with Cluj license plates got out and tore down a Székely flag. A similar incident occurred in Kőrispatak/Criseni.

Szőcs said that the affected residents plan to file police reports and described the events as “extremist acts,” noting that during the summer, many Romanian tourists visit the area and are not bothered by the Székely flags displayed on houses. He added that the local authorities would provide police with public surveillance footage to help the investigation. The incidents, he said, have left residents — most of them elderly — shaken.

“This older generation is deeply attached to their Székely identity. They display the flags simply to express who they are, not to provoke anyone. And then a group of young people comes along and frightens the locals,” Szőcs said.

Szabolcs Simó-Dezső, mayor of Szentábrahám/Avramesti, confirmed that in the village of Csekefalva/Cechesti, both Székely and Hungarian flags were torn down. Surveillance footage allowed them to identify the car’s make and license plate, and the information has been handed over to authorities, he added.

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Previous Incidents of Anti-Hungarian Behavior

Universitatea Cluj’s ultras have previously faced accusations of anti-Hungarian behavior. Earlier this year, two young ethnic Hungarians filed police complaints in Kolozsvár/Cluj after being attacked in a downtown park following a local football derby. One of them was struck in the head with a bottle, suffering a broken nose and facial injuries. According to the victim’s uncle, the attackers were Universitatea Cluj ultras who followed the boys and assaulted them because they were speaking Hungarian. In the aftermath, hundreds of young people joined a protest march in Kolozsvár/Cluj to denounce violence and hate speech.

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