Trade unions and oppositions held anti-government demonstration in Budapest – Photos

An anti-government demonstration started on Heroes’ Square in Budapest today afternoon, with the participants moving through Andrássy Avenue towards the Parliament building. Opposition parties called for further protests, another change of regime and building a new republic, while trade unions announced nationwide demonstrations to be held on January 19 in protest against recent amendments to the labour code.

László Kordas, head of the TU confederation MSZOSZ, said during an anti-government demonstration in Budapest that they would present a list of demands to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Tuesday and give five days to the government to set up a negotiating committee.

If the government fails to set up the committee by the deadline, the unions will hold a nationwide warning strike, and protesters will block roads and bridges, he said.

The trade unions are prepared for “a militant period” because the government has “made a deal with capitalists” and “chose to side with heinous profit-hunters”, he said.

Head of the teachers’ trade union PDSZ Tamás Szűcs called for action and said there was no reason to fear from strikes because they were the only way to succeed and force those in power to back off.

Socialist leader Bertalan Tóth said that unity has been created between opposition forces both in parliament and in the streets. He called on the opposition parties to cooperate in both the European and local elections later this year. He said the opposition parties should field joint candidates for the municipal elections everywhere.

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Conservative opposition Jobbik spokesman Péter Jakab said a petition would be launched against the “slave law”.

Opposition DK deputy leader Csaba Molnár said even if Prime Minister Viktor Orbán backs off and withdraws the labour code amendments, they would not stop because they are “rebelling” against the entire regime not just specific laws.

Opposition LMP lawmaker Antal Csárdi said four million employees were affected by the “slave law”, so the main task was to get it withdrawn and the labour code to be revised. He called the trade unions and other opposition parties for consultations on January 9.

Opposition Párbeszed co-leader Gergely Karácsony said the government was unable to apply the dictatorial tactics of “divide and rule” against the protesters.

Independent lawmaker Bernadett Szel said “the world must not belong to the populists and Hungary must not belong to Orban”.

Liberals executive and independent lawmaker Anett Bősz said that Hungary’s rule of law and democracy would have to be restored.

Momentum deputy leader Anna Donáth said Hungarians were not slaves.

The protest started from Heroes’ Square and new demonstrators joined the crowd as it was moving through the city. When the beginning of the crowd arrived in Kossuth Square near parliament, the end was at the corner of Andrássy Square and Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Road around 1.5 km away.

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Fidesz reaction

The ruling Fidesz party said the event was part of US billionaire George Soros’s European parliamentary election campaign.

“Soros wants to strengthen pro-immigration forces and mobilise parties and organisations to attack governments that oppose immigration,” spokesman Balazs Hidveghi told reporters.

Source: MTI