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Post by Jaga on Sept 19, 2006 14:21:09 GMT -7
The most massive protests are in Budapest since 1956! www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/world/4198647.htmlBUDAPEST, Hungary — Hundreds of riot police streamed into the capital Tuesday as protesters massed again after a night of rioting over the prime minister's leaked admission that his government repeatedly lied about the health of Hungary's economy. By nightfall, some 10,000 people had gathered for a third night in Kossuth Square, the vast plaza outside the neo-Gothic parliament building. Dozens waved Hungarian flags, and some demonstrators set up tents, signaling they intended to stay at least overnight. Several said they would remain even longer _ until the resignation of Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany ... |
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bujno
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Post by bujno on Sept 19, 2006 14:57:17 GMT -7
Yes, that was the very bad and sadening news of today. The irony of the situation is that people went to the streets when the government has actually started to implement the reforms and cut the budget spending. It is bad news for all Central Europe. Another bad news of today is the that Neo NAzist party gained seats in the second German state - Meklemburgia-Pomorze, apart from Saksonia. And their leader says they are heading for the parliament now!
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Post by suzanne on Sept 19, 2006 20:04:36 GMT -7
I support peaceful protesting and I understand why people would be angry in this situation, but this violent rioting is horrible and inexcusable.
The rioters supposedly want, among other things, economic improvement for the country, but it seems they never considered how many millions of their money will be spent (wasted!) on riot police protection and clean-up/repair efforts to fix the extensive damage they have caused!
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Post by pieter on Sept 20, 2006 6:25:14 GMT -7
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Post by pieter on Sept 20, 2006 6:29:40 GMT -7
Hungary, Budapest, September 19, 2006
Statement by President László Sólyom
In the course of last night a group parted from the peaceful demonstration attacked the building of the Hungarian Television, penetrated there, caused grave personal and material demages. It is about a legal crime that cannot be justified by anything, against which the greatest rigour has to be applied and from which the state must save with full strength its citizens and institutions.
At the same time, it is a serious warning that the peace-saving organs were not able to guarantee the needed safety beacuse of their small staff and incomplete outfit, although they should be prepared for that.
A sharp limit has to be drawn between the free expression of opinion, the basic human right of assembly just like political demonstrations and on the other hand, a criminal act. Those who overstep this limit, deny and endanger the others’ freedom and rights. For days, peaceful demonstrations have been going on country wide. Naturally, the bygones do not affect the right of anyone to express within legal frames his political opinion at a gathering or demonstration.
Nevertheless, in consequence of the events, the parties should consider whether their own organizers and the police are able to ensure that limits are not overstepped at their mass gatherings. On the other hand, I call the attention that the demonstrators looking idly or even in agreement the violence, are themselves bearing the responsibility.
Let be a consequence for the political forces that the cynical avoidance of basic moral questions is unacceptable and likewise is unacceptable even the hidden justification of acts breaking constitutional borders.
Finally, I protest with indignation against drawing a parallel between those violent crimes at the Hungarian Television and the revolution of 1956.
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Post by Eric on Sept 23, 2006 2:20:02 GMT -7
I heard about this on the radio the other day, including the comparisons to 1956. What is the way out...?
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Post by sciwriter on Sept 23, 2006 6:18:45 GMT -7
Hi, Eric: There's no comparison in Hungary between today's protest and 1956, but in both cases there were major lies:
1956-USA promised to support rebels militarily.
Today-Premier lied about economy.
"Talpra Magyar. Ni a haza (Rise up on your feet Hungarians. The nation calls you)"-Petofi.
Carl
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Post by pieter on Sept 24, 2006 8:50:15 GMT -7
It seems that the protests are going on. I heard the Hungarian writer György Konrád giving his commentary for Dutch television, who interviewd him in Budapest. He was fiercly against the protests, and said that bad elements of the society were behind them; Far-right extremists (Hungarian Neo-Nazi's), Skinheads, Hooligans, criminals (who gain from chaos and anarchy) and "not the intelligent part of the Hungarian population". He said that most Hungarians are moderate, want rest and stability, and that this protests (ofcourse) have nothing to do with 1956, or any other just revolution. This are just thugs who take their chance to riot, destroy public and private property, and creat chaos and a mess.
The Protests are not supported by the Hungarian intelligentsia, nor by anyone in Hungaria who has brains, loves Democracy and freedom, and wants progression.
These protest damage the Moderate and pragmatic image, the reality is that Hungary like
Poland is a succesful Central-European country, with a develloped economy and educated
population.
Pieter
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scatts
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Post by scatts on Sept 25, 2006 10:25:44 GMT -7
I know a bunch of people in Budapest as we do projects there. Opinion from the ground is:
1/ Riots are mostly media hype - zero problem for people living in the city
2/ Riots are driven by known hooligans - football fans and so on
3/ Opinion divided on whether the PM was right to expose himself on lying or wrong.
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Post by Jaga on Sept 25, 2006 17:14:57 GMT -7
I am quite curious about what is going on there. I had a feeling that Hungarians were a bit more brainwashed during the communism compared to us Poles. So I would be reluctant to call of protesters hooligans.
I remember a Hungarian girl, a daughter of history professor was visiting us and she knew only the official communistic version of what happened n 1956. We were all shocked (but this was 20 years ago).
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scatts
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Post by scatts on Sept 26, 2006 1:25:26 GMT -7
Interesting. All of the Hungarians I've spoken to feel that Hungary had a much easier time of communism versus Poland. Certainly nothing like the hardships encountered in Poland. Perhaps that is the brainwashing talking. The hooligan description was theirs, not mine.
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Post by Jaga on Sept 26, 2006 11:43:09 GMT -7
Interesting. All of the Hungarians I've spoken to feel that Hungary had a much easier time of communism versus Poland. Certainly nothing like the hardships encountered in Poland. Perhaps that is the brainwashing talking. The hooligan description was theirs, not mine. Scatts, I always had a feeling that Hungarians and Poles were treated similarly. People from Czechoslovakia were treated much worse. Any activists from Dubchek revolution were depraved of their work. Their kids had problems to be accepted to the univeristies etc., the church in Czechoslovakia was also persecuted. |
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Post by pieter on Sept 26, 2006 14:54:06 GMT -7
I am quite curious about what is going on there. I had a feeling that Hungarians were a bit more brainwashed during the communism compared to us Poles. So I would be reluctant to call of protesters hooligans. I remember a Hungarian girl, a daughter of history professor was visiting us and she knew only the official communistic version of what happened n 1956. We were all shocked (but this was 20 years ago). Jaga, I agree with you because I know traumatized Hungarians who live in the Netherlands and who have stil mental problems, because of that Hungarian Communist regime, which seemed Stalinist to me until the eigthees. They had terrible (Leather coat) secret police and people militia, who intimidated the population. I also have the idea that the Sovjets were even present in even more numbers in Hungary and Czechoslovakia, which were really guided pupet states. A father of a friend of mine (my friend is half Hungarian) is totally broken and is taken care for (nursed) by his mother. A Hungarian girlfriend of Dutch girlfriends of mine from Amsterdam has very bad memories from Hungary too. I haven't read much about Hungary, don't know much about the country, but seeing these people, I think it must have been a bad regime. Pieter |
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Post by pieter on Sept 26, 2006 14:55:36 GMT -7
The father of my friend refuses to go back to Hungary, he never wants to set a foot on that land again!
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scatts
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Post by scatts on Sept 26, 2006 23:37:17 GMT -7
Interesting. I shall obviosuly have to ask deeper questions of them before I get the truth!  |
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