Hungary: thousands of students demonstrate against Orban government
More than 10,000 Hungarians, mostly students, marched in Budapest against the Orban government on the anniversary of the 1956 uprising. ATTILA KISBENEDEK / AFP
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More than 10,000 Hungarians commemorated the 1956 uprising against the Soviet occupier on Friday.
On Friday, while no official event was organized by the nationalist government Viktor Orban, theater and film students called on Budapesters to take to the streets.
In tribute to the fighters of 1956, but also to protest against the nationalist government of Viktor Orban which suppressed the autonomy of their university.
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With our correspondent in Budapest,
Florence La Bruyère
More than 10,000 Hungarians marched to the sound of the revolutionary anthem, torch in hand.
Zsuzsa, a grandmother from Budapest, stands in solidarity with theater and film students.
“
I absolutely wanted to be here, with the students: they embody the revolution!
The university must remain free
.
"
Viktor Orban suppressed the autonomy of the University of Theater and Cinema and appointed an ultra-nationalist director, Attila Vidnyanszky, who wanted to introduce, in his own words, "
national and patriotic ideas
".
But the prime minister meets unexpected resistance, observes Professor György Karsai, director of the doctoral school at the theater university.
“
Apparently, Mr. Orban is afraid of only one layer of society: the youth.
With youth he can do nothing.
We can't buy them.
And that is new
.
"
Students have been occupying their university for 53 days despite harassment from the authorities, says Balazs Dohy, who studies directing.
“
They had the Internet access cables torn off.
But some residents gave us modems, and then a lot of students have the Internet on their phones.
It's not this kind of action that will stop us!
He laughs.
In front of the crowd vibrating in unison, a student called on the government to restore the autonomy of the University, enshrined in the Constitution.
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