Hungarian police chief gives official line on rubber bullets

"Police officers will use rubber bullets when it is deemed necessary on March 15, although only unit commanders will be authorised to give permission, and officers may only aim for the legs," National Police commander László Bene announced Friday. He also explained that policemen suspected of inflicting bodily harm last autumn will not help to secure national holiday functions. The number of suspected policemen rose to 29 on Friday.

Fidesz MP Zoltán Balog responded that "it is sad that police uphold the policy of using rubber bullets, but I welcome the police promise that all officers will display identification badges," and then claimed that this was "an indirect admission of previous legal violations."

Meanwhile police conducted searches at the homes of right-wing university students in Szeged and attempted to obtain information on alleged anti-state plots. No illegal weapons were found, nor are they suspected of any crime.

The above story is just one of more than two dozen published today by Hungary Around the Clock, the most comprehensive source of daily English-language news about Hungary. For a free trial of HATC, click here. Hungarian news sources include Népszabadság; Magyar Hírlap; Világgazdaság; Napi Gazdaság; Magyar Nemzet; Népszava; Kossuth Rádió news and Hungarian television's nightly news broadcast.

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