Demonstration against poverty in Budapest today

A group of demonstrators will stage a procession on Erzsébet tér wearing gags on Tuesday morning to protest against poverty around the world, hirszerzo.hu reports.

Today is the international day for the eradication of poverty, as declared by the United Nations, and observed annually since 1993. Activists across the globe use this day to bring attention to worldwide poverty.

Several local civil societies collaborate to bring worldwide poverty to the attention of people in Hungary. "It is shocking that today over 800 million people live in poverty worldwide. Officially those are considered poor, who live off less than $1 a day," said Gábor Csillag, the spokesman of Hungarian Young Greens (Zöld Fiatalok). "It is saddening that today in Hungary few people are aware of these problems."

At 10 a.m., organizers will begin assembling an 800 piece giant puzzle at Erzsébet tér, followed by a procession of gagged people at 11 a.m., symbolising the inability of the poor to have a say in their plight.

In addition, civil organizations will send faxes to the Parliament, the Ministry of Economy and Transport, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with their demands, most importantly relieving third world debt. "It is an impossible situation that the inhabitants of several African countries are starving, yet they have to pay taxes," said Csillag.

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