Reforms Cause Total War in Budapest

Police dispersed the crowd gathered last night in front of the Hungarian Parliament’s building. Some of the 15,000 demonstrants headed for the Socialist Party headquarters, where the officers had to use force against the “tough core” of the protesters.

Demonstrators were at the party’s quarters met by special forces and the mounted police that spared no tear gas nor truncheons when it came to dispersing the mob. Still, some of the demonstrants, wearing gas masks fought back throwing stones and setting garbage bins on fire.

Other demonstrators headed for the Public Radio quarters, where they faced water cannons and an increasingly violent response from the special forces. During the riot night, most of the order restoring forced throughout Hungary were gathered in Budapest. Confrontations continued in Blaha Lujza Place, where a Police car was set on fire and violence escaladed. The toll of the night was 28 injured officers and 98 arrests.

Demonstrants promised to continue their actions until Gyurcsany’s cabinet resigns. Riots also sprung in other cities - Gyor, Bekescsaba, Miskolc, Szeged and Debrecen.

HotNews.ro, Sep 20, 2006