Budapest, Hungary – Hundreds of police fired water cannons and tear gas at demonstrators seeking to force the prime minister from office in a second day of protests, but he stood his ground Wednesday and said his government intended to carry out his reforms.
Protesters set police cars on fire and hurled plaster from nearby buildings at officers following Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany’s leaked admission that his government repeatedly lied to the public about the economy.
A total of 140 officers were injured over two days, including 38 on Wednesday, and 137 people have been detained, said Arpad Szabadfi, deputy chief of national police. Dozens of demonstrators also were hurt, officials said.
The most violent clashes involved splinter groups that had broken off from a larger demonstration of about 10,000 people, the state news agency MTI said.
About 1,000 police officers were mobilized to quell the protests before the clashes broke up a few hours before daybreak, MTI said.
By afternoon, about 300 protesters had gathered at Kossuth Square – the venue of the previous large protests – but Buda pest was quiet.
Szabadfi said most of the 137 detained since the first violent protests Tuesday were “young men (who) had links to soccer hooliganism.”
Protesters accused the governing coalition of lying to win the April elections. People also were upset over tax increases and other austerity measures that Gyurcsany has ordered over the past three months.
“I hope we can accomplish our goal,” said Tamas Szep, 48, a paint-supplies wholesaler. “Not only the prime minister, but all of his sidekicks have to go.”
Wednesday’s confrontation erupted after the demonstrators threatened to move in on the party building and ignored police orders shouted through bullhorns to disperse, witnesses said.
Police succeeded in scattering the protesters, then scuffled with small groups along side streets. Wailing sirens signaled the approach of police reinforcements, who blocked media access to the area.
An ambulance crew was seen attending to an injured officer while other police hustled away individual demonstrators.
