Two anti-government demos set for Monday
Two Facebook pages are calling for public demonstrations against the government on Monday at 6 p.m. in downtown Budapest, one in Kossuth Lajos tér and one in nearby József Nádor tér. Tens of thousands have already signed up, and parallel demonstrations are planned around Hungary and other parts of Europe.
One Facebook page, called "A közfelháborodás napja" ("A day of public outcry") lists parallel events scheduled in 17 other Hungarian towns, as well as Berlin and Bristol. The Budapest version of that demonstration is set for Monday at 6 p.m. in V. Kossuth Lajos tér. The demonstrators said they oppose “internet taxes, state corruption, increasing taxes and current foreign policy”, while demanding “freedom, transparency, responsible governance and European ideology”. As of noon today, 15,000 had clicked on the page to say they would go to the demonstration.
Another Facebook page, called "Tüntetés az internet adó ellen (hivatalos esemény)" ("Demo against the internet tax – official event") is to take place nearby, at V. József Nádor tér. Organizers of that demonstration are said to be the people behind the October 26 and 28 demonstrations that helped bring down the proposed internet tax. As of noon today, 34,000 said they were going to that demonstration.
At a demonstration on November 9, organizers said on stage that, if tax chief Vida Ildikó does not resign, there would be a demonstration on November 17. A few days before, Vida had announced that she is one of the Hungarian officials who received an entry ban to the United States for allegedly being involved in corruption in Hungary. Vida denied the charges and did not resign, and she received government backing.
Nonetheless, Monday's planned demonstrations now appear to be about more than any single issue.
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