50 people injured in massive protests in Budapest

19 Sep, 2006 10:19 / Updated 18 years ago

Hungary's Prime Minister Ferens Gurchani has vowed a police crack down after a night of violent clashes between protesters and police led to fifty people being injured in the capital Budapest.

Several cars and the country's state television station building were set on fire. Protestors tried storming the television building, demanding they be allowed to broadcast their grievances. Police used tear gas and water cannons in a bid to control the crowds.The protest began as a peaceful demonstration outside Hungary's parliament, which drew up to ten thousand people. The protesters are calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Gurchani. In a leaked tape, he admitted he and his Socialist Party had lied to the public during their four years in office between 2002 and 2006. He also said he had been surprised that the party had been re-elected in parliamentary elections in April this year.