Civil Opposition Round Table Holds Protest At Parliament
- 9 May 2018 8:41 AM
- Hungary Matters
In a demonstration organised by the Civil Opposition Roundtable, a few hundred people demonstrated on Tuesday against the newly elected parliament and government at the Parliament building on Budapest’s Kossuth Square.
At the event dubbed “We don’t want this parliament and government!”, demonstrators briefly clashed with police as they tried to break through the police cordon near the Parliament’s southern entrance.
Speakers at the event talked about “renewing social solidarity” as the only way to stop “excessive power”. Demonstrators flew Hungarian and EU flags. One banner said, “The constitution is invalid!”
Former co-leader of the LMP party Ákos Hadházy, who was among the protesters, told journalists that the incoming parliament “cannot be called legitimate.” Hadházy said he would take his oath as an elected lawmaker at a later date, and expressed regret over other opposition politicians attending the inaugural session.
He said that by staying outside he wanted to “highlight how severe the situation is”.
In the afternoon, activists of the We Are Majority civil group staged another demonstration in front of Parliament, demanding that the “corrupt regime” should be removed. Speakers at the event also called for cooperation within the opposition.
The protest was disrupted by a hailstorm, and many people sought refuge under the arcades of a nearby building.
Earlier on Tuesday police removed several demonstrators from the square, the Budapest police (BRFK) reported on its website.
BRFK said the move had been necessary because of “personnel and facility security regulations”, and closed off the square from 6pm on Monday to 2pm on Tuesday.
On Monday evening, civil protestors formed a human chain around Parliament demanding that Hungary join the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), the restoration of the previous constitution and election law as well as an independent public media.
MTI Photo: Mónus Márton
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