A largely peaceful demonstration against the election of Gordon Bajnai as Prime Minister and in favour of early elections turned violent on Tuesday afternoon as some protesters tried to break through police lines.
Police had sealed off Kossuth tér at its entrances, but demonstrators tore through the steel barriers, to the arches of the Ministry of Agriculture. They were ultimately forced out by riot police.
As demonstrators wearing ski masks threw objects at policemen, police fired several tear gas grenades. Police eventually pushed the demonstrators, including about 300 members of the Magyar Gárda, to Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út. One guard member had to be taken away in an ambulance.
The Gárda released dozens of geese onto Kossuth tér, apparently a reference to the goose farmers made bankrupt by the collapse of agriculture concern Hajdú-Bét in 2003. At the time, Hajdú-Bét was owned by Wallis, which was run by Gordon Bajnai.
Jobbik chairman Gábor Vona wanted to address the crowd of some 7,000 on Alkotmány utca but organisers told him that this was not a party function. He then stepped on to the stage and spoke as the head of Magyar Gárda. Many demonstrators turned their back on him and left for Buda Castle. Many of those who remained booed him.
The Forum ended its demonstration shortly before 5.30 p.m., and made its way to Buda Castle to give a copy of their petition calling for early elections to President László Sólyom’s office.
A sudden torrential downpour drove off most other protesters, but the few hundred who remained repeatedly clashed with police near Vértanúk tere and reportedly attacked an ambulance. Twelve people were detained and 15 policemen and 10 civilians were injured.
Both Magyar Rádió and MTV officials took the demonstrators’ petition and read out the main points in their evening newscasts.
Lawyer Krisztina Morvai, who heads Jobbik’s list of MEP candidates, told demonstrators on Vértanúk tere that a real change of regime is needed. She called Bajnai “chief gangster” and “murderer” in her remarks.
Organisers announced that they will continue to stage protests until Parliament is dissolved. They said they will consider what legal avenues they can use to force early elections.
“A sudden torrential downpour drove off most other protesters”
“Organisers announced that they will continue to stage protests until Parliament is dissolved”
Or until it starts raining again ?
Hope the anti-communist Brigades mash the commuie scum, it’s only a matter of time….
Even if the “communists” are “evil”, the “anti-communists” are
much bigger assholes, the most enormous bastards in Hungary,
most of them racist, anti-european, anti-american, anti-semite,
anti-democratic bastards from the slum. We definiately need a
better opposition instead of those city peasants and psychopats!
Hey don’t you have a gaye parade to go to, and smoke drugs, and give amnesty to illegal aliens? You are from the slums, born with brain defects…
Hi Gandi
It’s comforting to know that you uphold the same peacefull values as your alias.
Oh and gay doesn’t have a ‘e’ on the end sweetheart.
@GANDI
Nicely presented my spiritual Teacher, Gaye or Gay people which ever! I still understand the message, including Drug Takers and law breakers are all slowing down the evolution of our spiritual progress..
@JD – Excuse please! Hello! A thouand apologies, my friend, but I am be wanting to interject here. The Father of our Nation was indeed a peace-loving saint. His name, Gandhi, has an ‘h’ in it.
Gandi’s name, in hindi, means arse.
Have a nice day!