Silent demonstration in Budapest for Szőlő Street juvenile detention centre victims – photos

A silent demonstration was held in front of the Szőlő Street juvenile detention centre in Budapest on Sunday afternoon. The event was initiated by publicist Róbert Puzsér on behalf of the Civil Resistance Movement.

Demonstration after demonstration

Organisers asked participants to light candles at the entrance of the institution in remembrance of what they described as “crippled lives”.

Demonstrators placed candles at the gate and left written messages for the residents in boxes provided by the organisers, according to the Hungarian News Agency.

Among those attending the demonstration were Puzsér; influencer and former politician Péter Juhász; leader of the opposition Democratic Coalition (DK), Klára Dobrev; and independent MP Ákos Hadházy.

On Saturday, Péter Magyar’s Tisza Party also held a demonstration in Budapest focused on children’s rights. Protesters gathered outside Sándor Palace, the office of the Hungarian President, as well as the Carmelite Monastery, the Prime Minister’s seat.

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Here are some photos of Magyar’s protest:

Minors sexually harassed and raped in the Szőlő Street instution

As previously reported, the former director of the Szőlő Street juvenile detention centre, Péter Pál Juhász, was arrested on suspicion of fraud, pimping and other crimes. He remains in pre-trial detention along with two former colleagues. According to authorities, one of the suspects attempted to destroy evidence shortly before police entered the facility.