HUNGARY: Hungarian police are braced for the possibility of more riots today, as hundreds of thousands of people prepare to take to the streets of Budapest for events that will combine commemoration of the 1956 revolution with protests against the government.
More than 30 marches are planned in Budapest, 50 years after Red Army tanks crushed the uprising, and 12 days after more than 150 people were hurt when police clashed with rioters in rallies recalling the start of the anti-Soviet revolt.
Security officials blamed nationalist groups and football hooligans for instigating the violence of October 23rd, which occurred amid mostly peaceful protests against the government.
"We have information that people associated with some far-right fringe groups plan violent disturbances on November 4th," Gyorgy Szilvasy, a senior aide to Socialist prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsany said.
"It is the organisers' responsibility to ensure that demonstrations are peaceful . . . while it is up to police to ensure that the protests aren't disturbed from outside," he said.
Budapest police chief Peter Gergenyi said: "We are preparing with heavy police forces to ensure security at the protests." Mr Gyurcsany has withstood huge pressure to resign after he admitted to lying about the dire state of the economy to win re-election in April.
In a nation deeply split between the political left and right, the admission ignited widespread anger at tax rises and spending cuts that Mr Gyurcsany and most economists insist are vital to reduce Hungary's budget deficit, which is the biggest in the EU.
The government accuses Fidesz, the main right-wing opposition party, of using inflammatory rhetoric and maintaining close ties with far-right fringe groups.
The opposition, Fidesz, alleges that the government has encouraged police to use excessive force against peaceful protesters to provoke violence that discredits it, the opposition.
The government opened secret police files this week on the October 23rd riots, making public the transcripts of a few radio exchanges between police, which officials say show that they did their best to keep the peace. Security services also released copies of mobile phone conversations between alleged rioters, in which they appear to try to manoeuvre battles with police towards a peaceful rally.