Election 2014 – Pro-govt Peace March held in capital

Budapest, March 29 (MTI) – The pro-government Peace March, organised by the Civil Union Forum (COF), started from Alkotmany Street, in front of the parliament building, early in the afternoon today.

The march was headed by COF founder Laszlo Csizmadia, businessman Gabor Szeles, editor-in-chief of newspaper Demokrata Andras Bencsik and political scientist Tamas Fricz.

MTI’s on-site correspondents said the crowd completely filled Alkotmany Street, even as many participants stood in Kossuth Square, in front of the parliament building.

Before starting, the marchers sang the Hungarian national anthem and the Szekler anthem, waving Hungarian flags, Szekler flags and banners of COF and governing Fidesz. The march, held a week before the national election on April 6, will wind up at Heroes’ Square later in the afternoon. The marchers carried placards with the names of the cities and towns they came from as well as messages such as “We are convinced a nation can be built only with moral integrity” and “Peace March for Hungary”.

Szeles said, while marching, that 400 buses had arrived from communities outside of Budapest to participate in the march this time around. He estimated the total number of participants would reach one million.

When the marchers reached Arany Janos Street — almost one-third of the length of the route — the organisers said the last marchers were still leaving Kossuth Square.

Istvan Stefka, editor-in-chief of daily Magyar Hirlap, said this Peace March was just as important as the first, organised in January 2012, when “our independence” was in danger. He called today’s march the “waiting room for next weekend’s election”.