Protesters battle handball fans over Budapest square

Either anti-government protesters or organizers of a handball gala will use Budapest's Kossuth tér, the square in front of the Hungarian Parliament, on September 17, writes daily Népszabadság. The Hungarian National Committee 2006 (MNB 2006), a group founded by people who staged a months-long protest on the square after a controversial speech by Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány was leaked to the media, want to stage a new demonstration on the first anniversary of the event. But the organizers of a handball gala to be held on the square on September 18 have already received permission to use the area on the day before to begin preparations for their event.

After the MNB 2006 was informed that the square had already been reserved, one of the leaders of the protest group, László Gonda, approached the Hungarian Handball Association (MKSZ), asking them to hold the festival on another day. But László Sinka, the head secretary of the MKSZ, told Népszabadság that the date and location of the festival had been announced more than a month ago, and no one objected.

Sinka also pointed out that one of the highlights of the handball event is an exhibition match between the Hungarian national women's team and a side composed of MPs, including several opposition MPs, none of whom objected to handball trumping protesting on the day in question.

• Email
• Save to My Caboodle