Tens of thousands protest higher education act amendments in Budapest – PHOTOS – UPDATE

In the square, the CEU student Gábor Bródy said that making it impossible for the university to continue its operations would undermine Hungary’s reputation “in the interest of achieving dubious political goals”.

Greenpeace activist Katalin Rodics protested in a speech planned amendments to rules on civil organisations. She said they would stigmatise civil organisations that receive foreign support.

The demonstration, which was organised by a group called For the Freedom of Education, officially wound up after 7pm, but several thousand people remained in the square in front of parliament afterward. Some behaved aggressively toward police and a crew from public television news channel M1.

The demonstrators sang the national anthem together and held up the glowing screens of their mobile phones.

Many of the protestors who stayed stood in the area in front of the stairs to parliament. There were several instances of shoving between the demonstrators and the police standing in front of the stairs.

Some of the protestors threw bottles at the police.

At around 9pm, several thousand protesters left Kossuth Square and went to the human resources ministry, in nearby Szalay Street. They chanted “free country, free university” and “we have had enough!”. They continued to the Nagykörút ring road, blocking traffic, and headed for the headquarters of governing Fidesz in Lendvay Street, near Heroes Square.

Photo: MTI

Source: MTI