Updated news of the demonstrations in Budapest

By: All Hungary News
2006-09-19 12:21

As the areas in front of parliament and the state television offices return to normal after last night's unrest, fresh details of the rioting are emerging. This page will be updated throughout the day.

 

The damage caused to television headquarters is estimated to be in the tens of millions of forints (over €100,000). More than 50 people, including several police officers, were hospitalized. A total of 102 police officers were injured, two of them seriously, and one is in critical condition. More than 150 people were injured in total.

 

The headquarters of Hungarian television have been evacuated. Only employees summoned by their employers can enter the building.

 

Eight rioters had been taken into custody by 10 a.m. Tuesday morning. The police did not wish to say if there were any familiar faces, or known "football hooligans," among them.

 

Rioters knocked the five-pointed star off the Soviet memorial on Szabadság tér and replaced it with a Hungarian flag during the rioting.

 

Political scientist Gábor Török and two leading politicians were trapped in the MTV building during the riot. Török said that he, Ferenc Juhász, assistant leader of the governing Socialist Party, and Tibor Navrasics, head of the parliamentary faction of opposition leader Fidesz, did not receive any assistance from the police. Senior state television staff showed them to a room where they could hide with the lights turned off to prevent rioters from finding them. They later called the police and were told they would have to make their own way out . "Ferenc Juhász, Tibor Navrasics and I escaped the building. Two of Hungary's leading politicians made their way through the rioters without any security, and anything could have happened to them. I think what happened last night is unbelievable," Török said.

 

Rioters are reported to be planning another protest rally today on Margit Bridge.

 

President László Sólyom called Justice Minister József Petrétei and leading police officers to his office on Tuesday. He will gather information about the current situation then decide on the action to be taken.

 

Justice Minister József Petrétei offered to resign on Tuesday morning. Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány did not accept.

 

According to socialist MP for Óbuda György Pető, Zoltán Fejes chairman of the District III. chapter of Hungary's right-wing party Jobbik, was playing an active roll in the violent demonstration.

 

The ongoing demonstration in front of Parliament is being registered with the police as an official political demonstration. It is currently illegal.

 

Over 300 people were reported to be gathering in front of Parliament at 15:00 Tuesday afternoon. Riot police are also present in numbers.

 

According to the Hungarian constitution, the police broke the law in failing to prevent the ransacking of the Freedom Statue and state television.

 

A camera team from right-leaning rolling news channel Hír-TV was prevented from interviewing former presidential candidate Katalin Szili and ejected from the MTV building today. The station has been accused of inciting the rioting by labeling protestors "young revolutionaries."

 

Hír-TV was the only Hungarian station to send cameras to the scene of the demonstration, which has sparked further debate after they have been accused of glamorising the rioting for covering it live. CNN also covered the story live.

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