Thursday, March 15, 2007

15th of March Events (Part 1)

Yesterday, the FIDESZ chief of staff, Deutsch-Für Tamás, said that neither his party or KDNP (Christian Democratic Folks party- a party that was formed out of FIDESZ) will take part on the official hoisting of the state flag ceremony, because 'the Gyurcsány government is putting the state flag into prison.'

The Kossuth Square was completely locked off from the public on Thursday night. Metal detectors were installed by the police at the streets leading to the festivity.

At around 9am the PM, Ferenc Gyurcsány, appears on the Square, the few hundred demonstrators outside of the cordon start booing, shouting, whistling. You could hear the whistle when the Hungarian flag is hoisted and when the National Anthem is being sung.

The public figures are protected by the security personnel.
Near the end of the ceremony about 1000 people are gathered outside of the cordons verbally abusing the Prime Minister, Ferenc Gyurcsány. A vast number of Árpád flags are seen in the crowd.

At 12pm mayor of Debrecen and a prominent FIDESZ politician told the audience at the official state ceremony in Deberecen, Lajos Kósa said that there needs to be a collaboration, union against the government. The government is bad and is leading Hungary towards a catastrophe. The 2000 people heard the mayor say ' let's get together and shake up the country. We have to stop the country splitting up our people politically , but not with violence, only with passive resistance.

At around 1pm, Budapest's major, Gábor Demszky holds a speech at Batthány's statue, eggs were thrown at him by the thousands of protesters standing outside near the temporary stage, even though bodyguards and security personnel were trying to defend him. After his speech he is interviewed where he says that he doesn't like if people are throwing oranges, eggs, or anything else at him, but he hopes that the demonstrators will not go any farther and will not start throwing rocks at people, and disturb the peace of this city.



Only one person was taken into custody earlier this day for jumping on and smashing cars.

At around 2:30 pm the demonstrators go and have a drink in pubs. Only a few tourists were at the scene besides the demonstrators who are staring curiously.

A little later, Mária Wittner, FIDESZ Parliamentary fraction member holds a speech at a commemoration organized by a right-wing party (Jobbik) quoting from a poem by Vörösmarty (famous Hungarian writer and poet):
Hungarians/ Grab your weapons./ We have to save our homeland once again. At the same place, Gábor Vona, leader of Jobbik accuses Gyurcsány of being a Communist murderer.

At 3:10pm after the Jobbik program is over the demonstrators go over to the central Astoria, where the FIDESZ organizers did not seem to let them join their rally. The demonstrators were not resistant and they went away. Nearby, at Ferenciek Square the FIDESZ rally is starting at 4pm.

3:20pm The police are looking for a young man wearing a blue sweatshirt who attacked a policeman earlier today.

3:40pm Alas, the FIDESZ organizers were not that successful as people are pouring in from the Jobbik event and blending in with the FIDESZ sympathizing crowd.

No comments:

Google