Opposition holds anti-government protest in Békéscsaba

Opposition parties that do and do not have seats in parliament protested against the government as well as amendments to the labour code in Békéscsaba, in southeast Hungary, on Saturday evening.

The crowd formed a procession, waving opposition party flags and banners on which “Resist!” was written. Chanting “We are not afraid!”, the protesters walked along the city’s main street to the city hall where they listened to opposition politicians who had arrived for the demonstration.

Independent MP Ákos Hadházy said

already 400,000 signatures had been collected supporting Hungary’s joining the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Anett Bősz, the head of the Liberals and an independent MP, said the opposition is bound together by the needs of the “true republic”. Opposition parties, civil organisations and unions will continue joint demonstrations to bring about “a new change of system”, she added.

Democratic Coalition lawmaker Ágnes Vadai asked people to challenge the government on the labour code amendment passed in a year which was dedicated to supporting families.

Conservative Jobbik MP Andrea Varga-Damm said

the “slave law” had brought together the diverging ideologies of the opposition to achieve a common goal. “The European parliamentary elections will be the day of the new change of system”, she added.