Quiet Thursday night, police on search for troublemakers

Last night was quiet but police is still on the search for the troublemakers of this week riots, Budapest police chief Péter Gergényi told Hungarian television on Friday morning. Only a few people were detained last night for destroying traffic signs and setting rubbish bins on fire, Gergényi added. The police chief said he had no information about the appearance of György Budaházy at a public demonstration by parliament on Thursday evening despite being sought by police nationwide for his role in the assault on public television headquarters earlier this week. MTI's local correspondent reported that Budaházy told the crowd he had participated in vandalizing a Soviet WW2 memorial located near the television headquarters. Gergényi said the reports are taken seriously on planned bomb attacks which have been part of the reason why the main opposition Fidesz party called off its weekend rally. However, the police chief declined to go into details about the secret services' relevant actions about bomb threats. Gergényi said he had no information confirming press reports saying organized mafia groups stood behind the vandalism of recent days. He said the vandals took to the streets just to make trouble and this was quiet clear when they were wondering around aimlessly in the television building they had occupied. Some of the anarchist elements who caused significant destruction were still at large, he added. According to Gergényi, Hungary has not experienced such events for the past 50 years and this was the reason why police needed time to step up their action. However, they are currently able to react to any emergency within minutes, he added. (Mti)