Hungary opposition holds rally to mark uprising
Source: Reuters
By Balazs Koranyi BUDAPEST, Nov 4 (Reuters) - About 50,000 Hungarians marched through Budapest on Saturday to mark the crushing of the 1956 revolution, but there was no repeat of the violent clashes with police witnessed at a similar rally last month. Police had feared far-right groups may again attempt to disrupt the march, organised by the main opposition centre-right Fidesz party. Several radical far-right groups did hold protests in Budapest on Saturday and some attempted to join the main rally but Fidesz organisers blocked their way. "We are commemorating the crushing of the uprising, but we would also like to demonstrate that it would be important to live in freedom," said Bela Eross, among the crowd of candle and torch-carrying marchers. On Nov. 4, 1956 Soviet troops moved in to crush the anti-Soviet uprising. A street rally organised by Fidesz on October 23, the 50th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1956 revolution, turned violent after several hundred far-right protesters disrupted the party's much bigger rally and scuffled with police. Fidesz alleged that police used excessive force and deliberately pushed the far-right groups into its rally so it could attack the peaceful demonstration, at which demonstrators were calling for Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany to resign. Protests broke out throughout Hungary on Sept. 17 after Gyurcsany, in a tape leaked to the press, admitted to having lied about the state of the economy to win April's election. Protests intensified as the 50th anniversary of the 1956 uprising approached and nearly 400 people have been injured in clashes with police. (additional reporting by Andras Gergely)
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