PHOTOS, VIDEOS: Anti-government demonstration in Budapest, clashes with police
Student organisations held a demonstration in Budapest on Friday, protesting for wage hikes for teachers, and called for the withdrawal of planned changes to their employment status and other planned regulations.
Huge demonstration in Budapest
Protesters marched from Kossuth Square in front of Parliament to Oktogon Square, carrying banners reading “History is written by youth”, “We also have a heartbeat” and “All power belongs to the people”, and waving EU, Hungarian flags, as well as those representing the teachers’ movements. Flags of the Tanítanék movement and teachers’ trade unions were also to be seen. Opposition politicians Ákos Hadházy (independent), Bence Tordai and Tíma Szabó of Párbeszéd, András Fekete-Győr, Anna Orosz and Miklós Hajnal of Momentum were also joined the protest, among others.
Clashes with police
Budapest police (BRFK) have reported that a small group of demonstrators had tried to disrupt the demo. After the demonstration, a smaller group marched to the headquarters of ruling Fidesz near Heroes’ Square, where police have cordoned off both sidewalks. BRFK reported that some protesters were trying to “intentionally provoke” police. Participants of the “unlawful protest” have tried to push through the police line and threw bottles and other objects, while verbally provoking them, the statement said.
Commenting on the demonstration, ruling Fidesz said the party was fully on board with the notion of a wage hike for teachers. “Leftist politicians earn 5-6 million a month to stop teachers getting 800,000 forints,” the party said in a statement. Had Hungary received the EU funds it is “entitled to”, teachers would have already had their raise, the party said. Leftist politicians drawing large salaries are working in the EU to block those resources, the statement said.
One lie after another coming from Fidesz. It was a huge crowd at the Fidesz HQ. It can be seen in videos. And the Government shunning its’ responsibility to pay the teachers by blaming the Liberal politicians is so weak. The EU is not responsible for paying the Hungarian teachers, it is the Hungarian government that is responsible.
Instead of providing proper funding to the public education system this government has spent huge amounts of money funding right-wing think tanks like the Danube Institute and sponsored forums like CPAC in order to push its’ political agenda. Your kids won’t get an education but you can be happy that Fidesz has a large number of state funded political writers helping to shape your beliefs. If it wasn’t for huge protests they would have blown a massive amount of money on a Chinese university in Budapest.