Civil orgs, opp parties demonstrate against planned City Park projects

(MTI) – Civil organisations and opposition parties staged a torchlight demonstration on Friday against the plan to build a museum quarter and other facilities in the famous Varosliget, or City Park of Budapest.

The protest was organised by the Hungarian Solidarity Movement, the E14-PM electoral alliance and two civil organisations, and joined by the Socialists as well.

The 200 to 300 demonstrators made a walk in the City Park, a green oasis in the heart of Budapest, carrying banners with inscriptions such as “With live chain against chainsaws” and “Varosliget remains intact, the government goes”.

Lawmakers on Tuesday decided to transfer properties in the park — with the exception of the art gallery Mucsarnok, the Szechenyi baths, the ice rink and supply constructions — into the hands of the 100 percent state-owned Varosliget Ingatlanfejleszto Zrt (City Park Property Development) for a period of 99 years.

Plans are afoot to enlarge the Zoo and several museums in the area, Laszlo Baan, the government commissioner in charge of the project, told MTI earlier. The related law guarantees that the green areas will not shrink at all, he said.

Photo: MTI – Balázs Mohai

Source: http://hungarymatters.hu/