Pro-government newspaper editor rallies

Protesters besiege Fidesz HQ in protest against “fourth amendment” Several dozen young people protesting against the planned fourth amendment to the Basic Law broke into the garden of Fidesz headquarters on Thursday afternoon. Some of the 50-60 mostly young univer- sity students climbed over the fence and at- tempted to enter the office building, but were stopped by security guards. Fidesz said they broke windows and damaged a door at the Lendvay utca building, causing Ft 500,000 worth of damage. Fidesz spokespersons Gabriella Selmeczi and Máté Kocsis walked among the demon- strators, who did not speak to them. The protesters chanted slogans and wore signs saying “The constitution is not a toy”, “It Is not a crime to be a homeless person, “Free education at free universities,” and “Free press and freedom of opinion”. Kocsis told an impromptu press confer- ence that Fidesz considers everyone’s views to be important and will listen to them, but freedom of expression is not freedom to use force. Police detained one protester but later re- leased him. He is Gergely Birtalan, an activist with the Students Network, which is supported from America, Magyar Nemzet writes. Pro-Fidesz counter-demonstrators arrived, reportedly in response to a call from Magyar Demokrata editor András Bencsik on his Facebook page. Some of the 40-50 counter-demonstrators called the protesters “traitors” and “terrorists” and told them to go to Jerusalem. Some of the protesters later went to the Constitutional Court, where they continued their demonstration into the night. Facebook group The Constitution is Not a Toy earlier in the week announced a demon- stration for 3 p.m. Saturday on Alkotmány utca near Parliament. (N p.1; MH pp.1&3; Nsz pp.1&13; inforadio.hu; index.hu; mno.hu; mti.hu; atv.hu; klubradio.hu; nol.hu; KR; TV)