HUNGARY: Hungary protesters seize 1956 tank, drive on police

Hungarian anti-government protesters seized a T-34 World War Two tank used as an exhibit to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the countrys uprising against Soviet rule and drove it towards police lines. . The protesters pushed the tank as police pushed the crowd of around 1,000 away from the square outside parliament, Local news agency MTI said several people had been injured in the clashes in central Budapest. Hungarian police fired rubber bullets and teargas to disperse around 1,000 protesters. The anniversary of the anti-Soviet uprising has been marred by a month of protests following the admission by Socialist Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany in a leaked speech that he lied about the economy to win national elections in April. Protesters seeking to march on parliament square clashed with police after fighting earlier in the day led to 10 people arrested. By 1500 GMT, police had pushed back protesters to Budapest's central square, Deak Square, and continued to fire teargas, a witness said. Some protesters, their faces hidden behind scarves, lobbed stones at the police. But officers managed to force the protesters towards a major rally being held by the main right-of-centre Fidesz opposition party, which wants Gyurcsany to quit. Fidesz leader Viktor Orban urged protesters to refrain from violence but told the rally of tens of thousands of people that the nation was facing an "illegitmate" government. The possibility of further clashes earlier prompted the government to again close the square outside parliament, which had been due to host a public event celebrating the uprising at 5.30 p.m. (1530 GMT), and to ask journalists not to go there. RIOTS

ITN Source | October 24, 2006

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