Budapest Riots At Hungarian National Celebration '50th Anniversary of 1956', 23 Oct 2006

Hungarian riot police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon at stone-throwing anti-government protesters as the country marked the 50th anniversary of the 1956 uprising against Soviet rule.

About 70 people were injured in the clashes with the mostly far-right protesters on Monday, officials said, while the main opposition staged a 100,000-strong peaceful rally to demand the resignation of Socialist Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany.

Demonstrators started up a Soviet-era T-34 tank and drove it at police lines until it ran out of fuel, but with the protests fading to about 1,000 people early on Tuesday Gyurcsany looked to have survived another challenge to his authority.

Protesters took to the streets more than a month ago to demand Gyurcsany quit after he admitted lying about the economy to win national elections in April. It resulted in the worst street violence in Budapest since the end of communism in 1989.

Text source: Reuters, used with permission

Photos used with permission of Origo.hu