HUNGARY: Police fire tear gas at demonstrators during a third night of protests following prime minister's admission that he lied to win election

Minor skirmishes marred a mostly peaceful protest by thousands of Hungarians in Budapest in the night from Wednesday (September 20) to Thursday (September 21). It was the third night of demonstrations sparked by Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany's admission he lied to win re-election in April. The Hungarian capital was on edge after protests on previous nights turned violent, the most serious disturbances since a 1956 uprising against Soviet occupiers. Around 15,000 demonstrators gathered in the square in front of the neo-Gothic parliament building peacefully waving flags and chanting for Gyurcsany to resign. A Reuters correspondent on the scene said a group of about 100 protesters -- far fewer than on previous nights -- broke away and tried to start trouble near the main train station, but were subdued immediately by hundreds of riot police. More than 200 people have been injured and 137 arrested in two previous nights of clashes that police said involved hard-core soccer hooligans who had hijacked peaceful anti- government protests, torching cars and storming the state television building. Government officials had warned that they would crack down on rioters. They said they were considering a curfew at some point if the violence continued. Gyurcsany, caught on tape telling his Socialist party that they "did nothing for four years" and lied to win re-election, has rejected calls to step down. Gyurcsany wants his party to abandon the spendthrift ways that caused Hungary's budget deficit to surge to 10.1 percent of gross domestic product this year. Credit-rating agency Fitch lowered Hungary's outlook on foreign and local currency issuer default ratings to 'negative' from 'stable' on Wednesday citing concern that reform plans would be diluted or abandoned if the prime minister was ousted. Protesters are demonstrating over higher taxes and fees for healthcare and university tuition, as well as Gyurcsany's statement that he and his Socialist party had lied for years about Hungary's budget in order to win the election.

ITN Source | September 21, 2006

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