Illegal Protesters Block Elizabeth Bridge

“Police had learnt of the event and arrived before 8 a.m. but only intervened when demonstrators moved from the pavement of the bridge onto the road,” National Police chief József Bencze explained. Some drivers feigned the breakdown of their cars and pushed them slowly over the bridge. Police carried the vehicles away and compelled the demonstrators to Ferenciek tere in the Fifth District. “Nobody was hurt, and neither water cannons nor tear gas were used,” Bencze said.

“The police detained 82 hobby troublemakers including former Kossuth tér protesters László Gonda, Károly Fáber and Gábor Bene,” Budapest Police Chief Gábor Tóth said. The police also detained Előd Novák from the far-right movement Jobbik (For a Better Hungary), who was the first to step onto the road, with a drum, at 8 a.m.

The demonstrators went from the Elizabeth Bridge to Ferenciek tere, then Astoria and Blaha Lujza tér, where they also blocked off traffic. Some activists attempted to deflate bus tyres and stopped a tram on the Nagykörut (Grand Boulevard). A group of protesters led by blogger Tomcat climbed atop the Chain Bridge and were brought down by fire fighters and detained by police. The normal movement of traffic was restored by 11 a.m.

“I am innocent concerning the blockade since I was at a meeting at Budapest City Hall,” Fidesz chairman Viktor Orbán said at a press conference. “In Hungary the law should be observed and Fidesz does not support any illegal resolutions,” Orbán underlined. “Fidesz is the party of law and order,” he added. “Nobody has the right to prevent law-observing citizens from going to work, but only legal action should be taken against the illegal demonstrations,” Orbán concluded.

Chairman of the Free Democrats’ youth wing “the New Generation” András Léderer has asked privacy protection ombudsman Attila Péterfalvi in a public letter to investigate the database source used by kuruc.info in order to send text messages with the instructions: “We will block Elizabeth Bridge or Ferenciek tere tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. sharp, on the anniversary of the taxi blockade. Details are on our portal. Act!”

Léderer also asked about links between the database collected by Fidesz and that used by kuruc.info to send out text messages without the approval of mobile phone owners.

“No political emotion justifies semi-idiotic maniacs taking the city hostage,” Socialist caucus leader Ildikó Lendvai said. “Maybe it is time for those who called for the police to observe the law to call for others to do likewise,” she added."

Source: Hungary Around the Clock.

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