Hungarians protest at state TV to demand independent public media, courts

About 2,000 Hungarians protested at the state television building to demand independent public media and courts on Monday, December 17, in the latest gathering uniting a fragmented opposition in action against right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Protesters shouted “Dirty Fidesz” referring to Orban’s ruling party, and held up banners like “TV has lost its public television character”, saying public TV had become a government mouthpiece. They faced hundreds of police.

Earlier security guards ejected two independent lawmakers from the building after they tried to get into a studio to read out a petition against what they say is an authoritarian regime.

The two lawmakers were among about a dozen members of parliament who spent the night in the building demonstrating against Orban’s policies, after a big protest on Sunday that took some 10,000 people to the streets.

Sunday’s march, dubbed “Merry Xmas Mr. Prime Minister”, in effect united weakened opposition groups in action against Orban for the first time since 2010 when he came to power.

The protests pose no immediate threat to Orban, who has strong core support which helped him return to power in April.