Updated news of March 15 demonstrations in Budapest

By: Adrian Courage

Today's March 15 commemoration of the uprising against the Habsburg Empire has been assigned more significance than most years due to the recent political tensions in Hungary. Dozens of political groups, including opposition party Fidesz are organizing anti-government protests to mark the occasion and there are widespread fears of violence. You can read about today's official protests and the build up to today's events here. Return to this page for regular updates.

 

The evening ended with reports of rioters retreating home on the last metro. Those that remained are reported to have been "visibly under the influence of alcohol" and "fighting amongst themselves." Several garbage cans were torched and a journalist was beaten up. The city estimated the damage at between Ft 15 million (€60,000) and 18 million (€72,000) Friday morning.

 

[20:05] Two men are standing up to police water cannons on Oktogon. Protesters are being sprayed with blue paint so they can be identified later. Several hundred police officers cleared Oktogon in seconds on live TV.

 

[19:50] People are milling around near Oktogon and police seem to have the upper hand at Heroes' Square. The stand-off looks like it will continue long into the night, but police are comfortably outnumbering protesters. Hungary will again be in the headlines, but judging by TV pictures, police seem to be keeping the peace. Unlike on October 23, there have been no reports of brutality.

 

[19:30] Police are trying to move protesters on from the Museum of Fine Arts on Heroes' Square, where Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány is due to speak at 20:00.

 

[19:15] The protesters on motorcycles at the National Museum have arrived at Oktogon, reports Index.hu. Police have used tear gas against protesters.

 

[19:02] Around 30 protesters flanked on both sides by large numbers of heavily armed riot police on Andrássy út. Dozens of press photographers and TV cameramen can be seen documenting the action.

 

[19:00] HirTV is reporting that journalists are being beaten by protesters. It also says that police are armed with rubber bullets.

 

[18:55] The two groups, police and protesters, are being shown squaring off on live TV.

 

[18:50] Eyewitnesses have seen riot police gathering in numbers on Oktogon. RTL Klub is reporting a police action on Andrássy út. Protesters are throwing bottles. Numbers are estimated at "a couple of hundred."

 

[18:45] The earlier arrest of György Budaházy, a known agitator, for his alleged part in the October 23 disturbances seems to have united protesters. Protesters believe he has been taken to the House of Terror and are demanding his release. Tomcat has also allegedly been arrested. He was earlier spotted with a red spotted flag. He was representing the "Rabbit Party."

 

[18:30] According to Index.hu, around 100 Motorcyle protesters have arrived at the national museum. Some 300 people have gathered near Parliament, where this morning's double barrier has been removed.

 

[18:15] Even right-wing portal kuruc.info suspended its minute-by-minute reports at 16:25.

 

[17:55] The news has ground to a halt, right-wing rolling news channel HirTV is showing a re-run of Demszky's speech in which he is dodging eggs. At this stage, the widely anticipated violence doesn't look like happening. The large police presence has remained largely inconspicuous in the side streets and those demonstrators looking for trouble haven't been able to find it.

 

[17:30] Orbán's speech has finished to polite applause, people are being advised on suitable routes to find their way home.

 

[17:15] Opposition leader Viktor Orbán is making his speech. It is being aired live on television. His words are overwhelmingly political, calling the Hungarian people to take action against the government, to take an interest in politics and fight for freedom. He blamed the "new aristocracy" for the current political problems.

 

[16:45] The atmosphere continues to be subdued, pockets of people, many of them teenagers, dressed in extremist political garb are wondering the side streets. Aside from a handful of "skinheads" who look like obvious troublemakers, there is no sign of trouble in the air. The protesters listening to the political speeches are overwhelmingly "ordinary people" although there are some of Arpád-striped flags fluttering in the breeze.

 

[16:30] Tamás Deutsch-Für, deputy chairman of the Fidesz caucus, calls for an end to the "vicious circle of lies." He condemned the government for driving a wedge through Hungarian society by setting policemen on peaceful demonstrators and using visit fees to cause conflict between doctors and patients.

 

[16:20] The Fidesz rally extends from the stage set up in front of Erzsébet Bridge past Astoria. MTI says the crowd exceeds 200,000, but judging from activity on the surrounding streets the real figure may be well below that.

 

[16:05] Magyar Nemzet writes that observers invited by several non-governmental organizations to evaluate police actions are satisfied with the work of police forces.

 

[16:00] Index.hu reports that the nationalist MIÉP party rally was attended by 5,000 people. Party leader István Csurka said that if the government doesn't resign, there will be a revolution. He ushered his followers to join the Fidesz rally, instructing them to take any flags they choose.

 

[15:45] Inventor Ernő Rubik and others have received Kossuth prizes. The ceremony in Parliament passed without incident, all award-winners shook hands with dignitaries from the government, including President László Sólyom.

 

[15:30] The atmosphere along Váci utca is subdued, there is no atmosphere of violence among the people heading from the Jobbik rally on Vörösmarty tér towards the Fidesz demonstration at the bridgehead of Erzsébet híd. Organizers wearing orange waistcoats are marshaling the crowds and the police presence is minimal in this area. Several thousand people have gathered to hear opposition leader Viktor Orbán speak after 16:00. The crowd is extremely mixed and seems to comprise people of all ages and social backgrounds.

 

[15:10] Gábor Vona, chairman of Jobbik closed his speech on Vörösmarty tér by saying that they [the government] wants to make a 93 square meter labor camp out of Hungary. "Yes, there is a conspiracy, they are killing Hungarians," he added, calling for Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány to be brought to trial.

 

[14:35] Right-wing portal Kuruc.info urges revolution in its minute-by-minute reports: "The nation's sons are throwing eggs and tomatoes at the Maoist traitor. The red devil's bodyguards are protecting him with umbrellas. Everybody onto the streets!"

 

[14:25] There are now up to 2,000 people in Vörösmarty tér listening to what Index.hu calls "complex metaphors about the country's future."

 

[14:10] Index.hu compares the atmosphere in Budapest to Speaker's Corner in London's Hyde Park.

 

[14:05] In the country's other major cities, all-party commemorations of the 1948-49 revolution are going off without a hitch.

 

[13:50] The MIÉP right-wing gathering is due to start at Hősök tere (Heroes' Square) at 14:00, with anti-Semite author and holocaust denier David Irving giving a speech. At the same time, the Jobbik Party has scheduled demonstration on Vörösmarty tér. Some 300-400 people are gathered at the square in the pedestrian zone, they are listening to rock music.

 

[13:30] The first objects are thrown! Mayor Demszky is pelted with an egg as he attempts to make his speech. His bodyguards do their best to protect him with black umbrellas, say Inforádio and Index.hu.

 

[13:10] Index.hu reports that 3,000 people have gathered around the statue of revolutionary leader Sándor Petőfi in anticipation of mayor Demszky's annual speech and wreath-laying ceremony.

 

[13:05] Apart from the official ceremonies and protesters the city is completely deserted. Many bus and train routes out of the city were sold out in the run-up to the holiday.

 

[13:00] Index.hu is reporting from a passenger of a bus checked for weapons on its way to Budapest. The officers are said to have behaved "reasonably." Police have confirmed that the bus was stopped, but denied that this was happening to all buses arriving in the capital.

 

[12:45] It seems the crowd of protesters is moving from one official event to the next with a view to disrupting official ceremonies. The group of peaceful demonstrators waving the controversial Árpád-striped flags (Hungary's traditional red-and-white flag briefly adopted by the Nazi Arrow Cross party) has now congregated at March 15 square where Budapest mayor Gábor Demszky is scheduled to make a speech.

 

[12:30] The crowds have moved on from Muzeum körút and have headed down towards Deák tér, reports Inforádió. Aside from anti-government chanting, no disruptions have been reported.

 

[11:55] A man has been charged with tearing down a crowd barrier and stomping on the roofs of cars near Kálvin tér in the earlier hours of this morning, reports MTI.

 

[11:35] The protests are being covered by Al-Jazeera with a reporter "embedded" in the crowd, reports Népszabadság.

 

[11:25] MTI is reporting that some 15,000 people have gathered around the National Museum. The protesters are not being shown on MTV state television's live feed, but the cat-calls and whistles can clearly be heard.

 

[11:00] Index.hu is reporting on a number of conspiracy theories that are gaining acceptance, some of which are being supported by official statements. Rumors that protesters from the countryside are being paid between Ft 5,000 and Ft 15,000 to cause trouble in Budapest have been confirmed by the police chief. It also claims that tennis ball sales have been good in recent days - "if a police horse steps on a ball, the chances are the officer will be thrown off it's back."

 

[10:55] National police chief László Garamvölgyi has reported to state news agency MTI that no arrests have been made and all events throughout Hungary have passed off peacefully.

 

[10:40] Magyar Nemzet, the largest newspaper representing Hungary's right, is reporting "commando troops on the rooftops and helicopters in the sky" as the Hungarian flag was officially raised at Parliament this morning. A group of several hundred people is gathered around the controversial barrier sealing off the Parliament building and punctuated the ceremony with chants demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány and Minister of Economy János Kóka.

 

[10:25] Left-leaning daily Népszabadság reports that 100-150 protesters belonging to the Hungarian Self-defense Movement "enjoyed a peaceful evening chanting slogans about Jews and police terrorism" outside the Teve utca police headquarters Wednesday night.

 

[9:25] According to an Index.hu reader, 1,000 riot police helmets and a "ton" of rubber bullets arrived at Ferihegy airport this morning. Police chief László Garamvölgyi confirmed the arrival of the helmets but denied the delivery of rubber bullets.

 

[9:15] By morning, 64 cars had been moved by police to make space for the official celebrations. Many of Pest's downtown streets have been shut down and parking is prohibited in these areas for the whole of the day.

 

[8:50] Kossuth tér, the square around Parliament, has been shut down, entry is restricted and gates with metal detectors have been installed.

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