2006 protests in Hungary
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The 2006 protests in Hungary are a series of anti-government protests triggered by the release of Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány's secret speech in which he confessed that his Hungarian Socialist Party had lied to win the 2006 election. The peaceful demonstrators were later joined by violent mobs which began various unrest activities, sieged and pillaged the state public television station, vandalized cars and shop windows, and aggressively fought with riot police during the first and second nights of the events.
The peaceful protests and demonstrations lacked any significant political support (ie. from main opposition parties), and seemed to be semi-spontaneous, although several minor right-wing political formations are making efforts to gain influence and to issue their own political programs.
Audio recording
On September 17, 2006, an audio recording surfaced from a closed-door MSZP meeting which was held on May 26, 2006, in which Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány made a speech, notable for its obscene language, including the following excerpt (censored version):
There is not much choice. There is not, because we screwed up. Not a little, a lot. No European country has done something as boneheaded as we have. Evidently, we lied throughout the last year-and-a-half, two years. It was totally clear that what we are saying is not true. You cannot quote any significant government measure we can be proud of, other than at the end we managed to bring the government back from the brink. Nothing. If we have to give account to the country about what we did for four years, then what do we say? [1]
The prime minister confirmed the authenticity of the recording and uploaded its transcript on his blog[2], but remarked that "in a closed meeting a person speaks differently than in front of the cameras"[3].
Demonstration
Late on Sunday September 17, people gathered at the Parliament building demanding the PM to resign. The number of demonstrators reached 2,000 around midnight. A few hundred people went to the State President's residency, but later returned. The spontaneous demonstration was entirely peaceful.
On September 18, as a consequence of this audio recording and the fact that the Prime Minister and/or his party is not willing to resign, a demonstration was held near the Hungarian Parliament. Approximately 10,000 protesters demanded the resignation of Gyurcsány and his party for lying throughout the cycle and then during the campaign to win the next election.[4] The police deemed the demonstration legal, arguing that the rules applicable during the campaign period towards the upcoming municipal elections allow for such short-notice political meetings.
After 23:00, a smaller group of the demonstrators tried to get into the Magyar Televízió public television building at Szabadság Tér (Liberty Square), to announce their demands on air, peacefully. After they were not allowed to enter, a smaller group composed mainly of extremists and football hooligans attacked the police forces. The riot police units which were intended to secure the building and the perimeter were ordered to dissipate the crowd with tear gas, truncheons and a water cannon. They blocked the main entrances but were unable to stop the attackers.
Unrest and violence
Some of the demonstrators became indignant at the authorities' resistance and were later joined by a group of enraged football ultras. A hardcore subgroup of them started to make repeated assaults in order to penetrate the defenses and break into the building. The police retaliated, using tear gas and water cannons. The crowd flew into a temper and attacked the police units with thrown cobblestones and debris (injuring 141 police officers), set several parked cars on fire which set part of the building ablaze as well, and eventually managed to enter the building, forcing the police back.
The demonstrators managed to tell their demands, but since the television station had already ceased its transmission due to the riot, it was not aired live. The house was abadoned about 2 am by the police. After that the joined ultras and other protesters went inside the building, but most of them just made pictures about themselves and the place, while some vandals screw up the dining room and the main hall of the buildig. Also some people collected 'throphies', such as pictures, and some minor stuff.[5] [6] [7].
Police reinforcements arrived much later, and they managed to reclaim the building before dawn. Magyar Televízió resumed its transmission at 6:07 AM.[8] Over 150 people were injured, including 102 policemen. The property damage resulting from the fight is estimated to be over 100 million forints (about 350,000 EUR)[8].
Day 2: Tuesday, Sep 19, 2006
Budapest
In the evening a mostly peaceful demonstration took place at Kossuth Square, aside from demonstrators vandalizing a tram on Kossuth Square and a car in front of the Socialist Party's county headquarters.
Later that night, in other parts of the city, including the areas near the headquarters of MSZP and the HQ of the public radio station, violence broke out again. Larger numbers of riot countermeasure troops were deployed along with mounted police and K-9 units, acting more systematically than before. Utilization of tear gas and water cannons with accompanied mounted assaults prevented another building siege. Other police units applied police batons and body force.
At 1:00 AM CET about 3000 protesters gathered at Blaha Lujza Square. The crowd demanded the departure of Prime Minister Gyurcsány. Ultras threw stones and debris at the police, set a police car ablaze and even tried to build barricades but repeated police movements forced them back. As of 9:00 AM CET (Sep 20) the streets were cleared and more than 90 troublemakers were arrested with over 50 people injured. Most local media sources (including news television and news portals) covering the events referred to the attacking civilians as "troublemakers" or "rowdies", thus impying that these violent people were neither protesters nor peaceful civil demonstrators, but just a mob. The first rows of the masses were reported to behave aggressively, backed verbally by youngsters in the background. As opposed to the first night's siege, the crowd did not attack or hinder fire brigade and paramedics staff, but on one (probably unique) occasion it was observed that a mobster repeatedly kicked another civilian already lying on the ground (reference in Hungarian: post entry of 02:33 at [9]). Live reports suggested that part of the mob also made some verbal efforts (shouting claims) to depict the violent acts similar to those of the 1956 Revolution.
On the late night live talk show, Este (Evening), on the previously besieged MTV, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány was faced by his actions, and the protesters' demands, by reading their petition which they managed to hand over the previous day. He replied that it was not just he, but everybody, that lied, and that he will not resign, and was commited to pushing through his tightening package in any circumstances, without the possibility of even a minor change in it.[10]
Other cities
In Miskolc on Monday (September 18) about 2000 citizens were protesting on St. Stephen Square, where Árpád Miklós, chairman of MIÉP's county committee held a speech, saying that Gyurcsány might as well join MIÉP as they had been calling Gyurcsány a liar for years, and now he himself had admitted to it. People were shouting anti-government remarks and singing the national anthem and the Szekler anthem, then marched to the nearby city hall. Later, at the proposal of the MIÉP chairman, they went to MSZP's headquarters on Corvin Street, which was secured by the police. Traffic was blocked by the demonstrators in parts of the inner city.
On Tuesday policemen, including police captain Albert Pásztor, were already at St. Stephen Square when the demonstrations began at 5 PM. People were holding banners saying Our homeland is not a "fucking country", referring to the Gyurcsány talk. The demonstrators again went to the city hall, then to the MSZP office, where at the request of an university student a speaker read the proclamation of the protest planned on September 21 against tuition fees (the introduction of which was one of the most controversial decisions of Gyurcsány's government). The national anthem and Szózat were sung both at the city hall and at the MSZP office, while demonstrators were standing with their backs to the buildings. Demonstrators demanded that a declaration be read in a local TV station, but the station's manager refused.
In Szeged at 7 PM, 500-600 people protested against Gyurcsány, but within a few minutes there were already thousands of demonstrators marching from the city hall to Dóm tér (Cathedral Square). From there they went to the Socialist Party's building, which was defended by the police. The demonstration was continued on Tuesday before the City Hall, when about 3000 people demanded the government's resignation, new elections, and democracy. Police secured the City Hall and the regional offices of Hungarian Television and Hungarian Radio.
The county chairman of Jobbik, the organizer of the demonstration, stated they want to achieve their goal – the resignation of Gyurcsány's government – through peaceful demonstrations, which they will continue every evening until September 23, when they will hold a demonstration in Budapest.
In Eger about 1000 citizens demonstrated, demanding that President Sólyom dissolve the National Assembly. Demonstrators also requested the city's otherwise popular Socialist mayor Imre Nagy to initiate Gyurcsány's dismissal.
Day 3: Wednesday, Sep 20, 2006
Budapest
During daytime the capital city was peaceful, though ruins and debris at the previous night's clash scenes reminded the citizens that the crisis was far from being over. Peaceful demonstrators kept gathering at Kossuth Square (at the Parliament) where the various right-wing minor groups elected their ad-hoc leading team and also organized a group of volunteer security brigade in order to recognize and filter out possible troublemakers or provocators in the crowd.
Daytime announcements from different political personalities all agreed that violence must be avoided, and control must be maintained at all applicable costs. Police leaders promised immediate, zero-tolerance police reaction to any turmoil. Identification of violators and troublemakers went on all day by police, via analyzing news videos, and dedicated police/detective units made several (more than 100) arrests during the afternoon.
Riot police were also present at all important scenes, including Parliament, state public radio station, MSZP HQ, and they kept Szabadság Square (where the previously sieged state public television resides) tightly sealed. Nobody was allowed to enter the square except residents of its buildings, television staff and law enforcers. Police units were reinforced, equipped with new special full-size shields, steel helmets, bulletproof vests and gas masks.
As night fell, reports came about large scale purchasing of baseball bats at a sports warehouse. Later, a downtown restaurant was raided by the police because delivery of "long stick-like objects" was witnessed, but those turned out to be just promotional umbrellas.
After 01:00 AM, protesters began to gather on Nagykörút, around Nyugati Square and Oktogon Square. About 2000 people began to walk along Andrássy Avenue, demanding the departure of the Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány. This time there wasn't any serious attack against policemen or vandalism, but the troops soon stormed over the protesters and pursued them on the Nagykörút (Grand Boulevard) towards Nyugati Square and neighbouring streets. Police reactions were reported to be significantly harder than before. On Oktogon Square the riot police shot tear gas grenades directly to the crowd and not above them, causing serious injuries in some cases. In the last hours of the events, four youngsters jokingly imitated fighting with each other, unfortunately in the vicinity of a patrolling police unit which took it seriously and brutally intervened. There were reports of a local 14-year-old child whose arrest was witnessed by his mother. Other cases of extreme police brutality against peaceful protesters and passers-by were reported by eyewitnesses on internet forums and articles. [11] Overall, this night was remarkably controlled by massive police presence and their rapid response, vandalism was mostly prevented and there were no reports of stone-throwing assault or arson. During the night, 62 persons were arrested, of which 55 persons are now in custody and charged with aggressive crimes, totalling the arrests over 200.
An article in the Hungarian news portal index.hu illustrated with photos the fact that the Lonsdale youth manifesto could be observed during the unrest [12].
Other cities
Wednesday early dawn the large window of the Socialist Party's office was smashed with a garbage can. Downtown, several MSZP placards of the upcoming local elections were vandalized. Late afternoon demonstrations started again on St. Stephen Square; police were securing both the square and the MSZP office long before the demonstrators arrived. Speakers asked demonstrators to behave themselves and keep the demonstration peaceful. A student of the University of Miskolc informed the people that the university's student council withdrew its approval of the protest against tuition fees, but students will protest anyway. Several demonstrators wore nationalist symbols like Greater Hungary badges; a Transylvanian student's poem about the failed 2004 referendum (the aim of which was to give citizenship to ethnic Hungarians living outside Hungary) was read.
.
Day 4: Thursday, Sep 21, 2006
Budapest
Peaceful demonstration went on, but people showed remarkably less interest. The main opposition party, FIDESZ has cancelled its planned rally previously announced for 23 September, due to warnings of a possible terror attack. The demonstrators of Kossuth Square still lacked any serious political support. Police issued arrest warrants against several football ultras and other presumed troublemakers. A wanted person who also had key role in the 2002 Budapest traffic blockade incident, was reported to be seen at Kossuth Square giving a speech but police did not intervene.
A leader of a right-wing extremist demonstrator group announced in a local cable TV that he will take full responsibility for any future violence but his group plans no more attacks aganist the media (in Hungarian; see post of September 21, 22:24 at [13]).
The day and night was quiet overall, but arson was reported as a district office of MSZP was set ablaze in Újpest (a Northern part of Budapest) but it was quickly extinguished. Police also announced that among the already arrested troublemakers there were 5 off-duty police officers who attacked their own colleagues. A border guard and a military officer also proved to be troublemakers. These officials will undergo military investigation and face presumably serious sentences.
Other cities
(reports pending)
See also
Notes
- ^ BBC, FT, Yahoo!, Template:Hu iconIndex Hungary
- ^ Template:Hu iconAmoba
- ^ Template:Hu iconIndex Hungary
- ^ Template:Hu iconHir TV
- ^ BBC Riots over Hungarian PM's 'lies' 19 September 2006
- ^ Index Template:Hu icon
- ^ Origo Template:Hu icon
- ^ a b Template:Hu iconIndex
- ^ http://index.hu/politika/belfold/tuntet0917/
- ^ Template:Hu iconThe full report.
- ^ http://www.indymedia.hu/cikk.shtml?x=32082
- ^ Template:Hu icon Lonsdale divat
- ^ http://index.hu/politika/belfold/tuntet0917/?p=1