Hungarians stage biggest protest to press PM to resign

Protesters staged their biggest demonstrations on Saturday to press their demand for Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany to resign for lying to voters.

Up to 20,000 people gathered in front of the parliament on Kossuth square, waving national flags and singing nationalist songs.

Unlike the previous nights which had witnessed violence, most of the demonstrators left peacefully after midnight. Police in riot gear with helmets and shields were deployed nearby.

With opposition parties rejecting talks and Gyurcsany vowing to restore order, the standoff is expected to escalate. In the past few days, more and more sympathizers have joined the initially hundreds of demonstrators.

The protest started last Sunday after the leak of a tape about a Socialist party meeting in May, in which Gyurcsany said his government had lied to the public about the state of the country's economy.

The next day, Hungary's main opposition Fidesz and its ally Christian Democrat KDNP called on the government to resign.

Angry protesters took to the streets, demanding the resignation of the prime minister, who has steadfastly rejected it. Riots broke out on Tuesday, leaving around 150 people injured.

Earlier Wednesday, Gyurcsany called for holding his first face-to-face talks with the opposition since the rioting began, and said in the meantime he would take measures to restore order.

But the opposition Fidesz party has rejected any meeting with the Socialist-led government, which it says is "illegitimate."

Source: Xinhua