Budapest  - The most prominent party on Hungary's extreme right, Jobbik, held a rally in front of the parliament building on Saturday to protest the outlawing of its paramilitary offshoot, the Hungarian Guard.

"The court of first instance ruling on the disbanding of the Magyar Garda (Hungarian Guard) doesn't mean anything. They will continue their work," said Gabor Vona, president of both Jobbik and the Hungarian Guard.

Several hundred "Guardistas," in their black jackets, boots and red neckerchiefs, stood in serried ranks to protest a recent court ruling, subject to appeal, that their organization must disband.

Supporters swelled the crowd to around 1,000, who applauded speeches denouncing the Hungarian government and its justice system.

"We are not the extremists, they (the government) are," said Krisztina Morvai, a lawyer who heads Jobbik's list for the forthcoming European Parliament elections. She also attacked Israel for its ongoing military action in Gaza.

Jobbik garnered 8 per cent of the vote in a parliamentary by- election in Budapest on January 11, although the ballot was declared invalid because only one in four of those eligible bothered to vote. A 50 per cent turnout was required.

The party is now optimistic about its chances of gaining its first-ever elected representative in June. Hungary has 22 seats in the European Parliament.

If the apathy on the part of mainstream Hungarian voters is repeated in the EP elections in June, Hungary could join Romania, Bulgaria, France and Belgium, among others, in sending one or two extreme-right MEP's to Brussels. (dpa)