A total of 39 defendants accused of taking part in the siege and subsequent occupation of Hungarian Television headquarters on September 18, 2006, went on trial at Pest Central District Court on Tuesday on charges of disrupting the operation of a public institution and other crimes.
The prosecutor read out the indictment, noting that several of those who threw stones at the MTV building, set alight cars parked nearby and later occupied the headquarters remained unidentified. Several rioters broke into the headquarters, set documents on fire and stole several computer engineering instruments, causing more than Ft 29 million worth of damage to the building and contents.
Others vandalized the Soviet memorial close to the building on Szabadság tér.
Police officers guarding the building tried to disperse the rioters with tear gas but eventually retreated into the building. For the most part known football hooligans carried out the attack, although a police officer from Dunakeszi and a Fidesz-Christian Democrat 15th District council member also took part.
More than 120 people were hurt, including 113 police officers. It is arguable whether the police had made adequate preparations to defend the building, Népszabadság writes. The trial will continue today, tomorrow and in June, Magyar Hírlap reports.
Maybe if convicted, they will be given suspended sentences as a result of their assistance in raising the audience levels of the normally unwatched MTV on that particular evening.