PHOTOS: MP Hadházy continues to protest in Budapest’s downtown
Hungary’s opposition “should finally be proud, because they have embarrassed the powers that be and made them ridiculous,” independent lawmaker Ákos Hadházy told a demonstration held in downtown Budapest on Tuesday.
At the 16th protest calling for the withdrawal of the law on the right of free assembly and against the adoption of the transparency law, Hadházy said that the Budapest Pride held last Saturday had been the largest anti-government protest ever and the largest mass protest held since the fall of communism, “because it is perfectly obvious that this was an anti-government demonstration.”
Hadházy: protesters’ strength and police dilemma
Hadházy said the demonstration had shown strength. At the same time, strength will not prevail without perseverance and determination, he said, “but the greatest achievement of the past months is that the opposition has shown both, and that is scaring the powers that be.”
Hadházy said demonstrators will march to the Interior Ministry, demanding that the “techno-fascist law be withdrawn and the police does not use the footage of Saturday’s demonstration.”
He insisted that the police was facing a “dilemma”. “If I had to bet today, I’d bet on fines being imposed.” “The powers that be have made a huge mistake, but we can’t afford to another one and stop now.”
Derailing the elections
Sociologist András Bozóki said last Saturday’s demonstration had created a new situation “where the regime has backed down, it couldn’t use violence.” “There is a lot of talk of how it will want to derail free elections by any means possible, through drones, photos, surveillance, threats and punishment, but I believe that if the people decide that they have no patience or need [for this] … and want to take their fate in their hands again, then nothing can stop them.”
Musician Miklós Paizs said that on Saturday, “pensioners with their hearts in the right place became anti-government rebels because they took to the streets for the rights of their stigmatised fellow humans … even taking a fine into account.” “The incessant gangster moves have turned masses of peaceful citizens into rebels,” Paizs said.
Slammer and dramaturge Dénes Bíró said the demonstration had been a “joint success that helped us experience a feeling of belonging together.”
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