Budapest Friday, February 2, after parliamentarians of the main right-wing opposition party Fidesz dismantled steel barriers.
The barricade was erected October 23 last year to prevent demonstrators camped outside parliament from disrupting celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Hungary’s anti-Soviet Revolution after two months of street protests.
Police that day used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons to disperse rioters around the city demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany, a former Communist, after he was caught lying about the health of the economy.
Last year’s riots, in which hundreds were injured, were the worst since the democratic changes began in 1989. The demonstrations also underscored anger among protestors over the return of some ex-Communists in government as they once supported a regime known for persecuting political opponents as well as devoted Christians and other religious groups.
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
In a statement, Fidesz called its operation on Friday, February 2 an act of "civil disobedience"
and party chief Viktor Orban said his supporters would keep removing the barriers every day if police put them back.
"It is an impossible situation that the police take an unconstitutional measure with the government’s support and this remains in force for months," Orban stressed after giving instructions to his MPs to move the barriers. He also compared the current situation with the last days of Communism in 1988 and 1989 when as a young man he demanded publicly the
withdrawal of Russian troops from Hungary.
Initially police did not intervene as 120 Fidesz parliamentarians with wrenches dismantled the barrier and stacked it in the square, but later police in riot gear ringed the parliament building and rebuilt the barricade. It was unclear who had given the orders for the police to rebuild the structure.
Eyewitnesses estimated that a small crowd soon swelled to up to 1,000 people by the evening,
some of them waving red and white striped flags associated with the far-right.
"DAMAGING" ACTION
An angry Prime Minister Gyurcsany on Friday, February 2, described as "more than damaging"
Fidesz’ decision to dismantle the police cordon surrounding Kossuth Square in front of parliament. "Parliamentarians must be especially careful about how they act because they show an example to the public," he told reporters.
The latest tensions came earlier than politicians and the police had expected. They reportedly feared a resumption of anti- government protests on March 15, a Hungarian national day to mark the revolution against Austrian rule in 1848. Vandals recently defaced city walls with the letters "MUK" an acronym in Hungarian for "We Start Again in March.”
Several churches in Hungary have been praying for the country which they say is facing growing tensions in society as an increasing number of people feel once again the daily burden of transition.
As a new European Union member, this predominantly Catholic nation is under pressure to reduce its budget deficit, the highest within the EU. Up to 800,000 health workers and state employees plan already strikes this month and there are fears of more social unrest in Budapest. (This story is part of a BosNewsLife initiative to expand its coverage on issues related to freedom-of-expression in current and former Communist nations and other countries under autocratic rule. bosnewslife.com )
