15th of March Events (Part 2)

According to Hungarian media the demonstrators, or football hooligans if you like, started appearing on the streets after György Budaházy, a wanted criminal, was captured by the police.

5:45 pm: About two dozen people appear in front of the Police headquarters (at Aradi street) where the demonstrators believe Budaházy was taken, shouting: 'we will free him'!

6pm: 200-300 people appear at Andrássy Street. In a sound system placed inside a baby carriage near Astoria the FIDESZ supporters are called up to go to Aradi street to free György Budaházy. In the meantime 1500 people gather at the Museumkert calling for the resignation of Gyurcsány.

6:25pm: Ski masks are handed out to demonstrators by other demonstrators and the Goy Motorists arrive to everyone's delight.

6:38pm: Police start to arrive. There are about 1000 demonstrators already. The majority are wearing masks, gas masks. There are lots of skinheads wearing black clothes, black steel-plated boots. The crowd is provoking the police, who are behind cordons. The demonstrators throw eggs at the police. The rioters are waving Árpád flags, more and more are coming. Andrássy street and nearby streets are closed down from the traffic.

6:47pm: Near the Terror House Museum at Andrássy street the police asked the media representatives to leave the premises because they cannot guarantee their safety. The police started approaching the rioters, who were now throwing beer bottles at the police.

6:51pm: The police call on the demonstrators to leave the premises at once. The demonstrators are throwing stones at the police. The police are using gas spray, and water cannons. The rioters are building cordons and blockades at Vörösmarty Street.

7:00pm: The 1000-2000 people gathered at the National Museum goes over to Andrássy Street.

7:09pm: The police calls on the 'riotous demonstrators' several times to leave the premises and head home in the direction of Hősök Square. Some people leave.

7:29pm: Water canons arrive spraying blue paint on the rioters, who in turn throw building blocks at the police. The number of the demonstrators decrease to about 300.

7:38pm: At Hősök Square the police is successful in dispersing the rioters.

7:44pm: The police head back to Deák Ferenc Square through the now empty Andrássy street.

7:55pm:
Now the rioters appear at Oktogon (another central spot in Budapest). Lots of police arrive to the area. The subway still runs on schedule but misses some stops. The demonstrators speak in loudspeakers saying that everyone should go over to the Kossuth Square.
...

The demonstrators are constantly changing location and erecting barricades. The police seem well prepared, they use teargas and water cannons occasionally. At around 10:20pm 28 people are taken into custody by the police. The rioters broke into shops, smashed cars and windows around the city. Burned barricades, consisting of garbage cans etc.
More to come.

Some pictures of tonight:












Sources: Origo, Nol, Index, Mti

Pictures: Index, Origo