Liget protesters ‘removed’ by riot police

Christian Keszthelyi

Hungarian riot police arrested some environmental activists and “took harsh action” against others protesting the cityʼs plans to build in Budapest’s Városliget (City Park), which activists say would be destroyed by the developments, according to a press release issued yesterday by the Ligetvédők - Occupy City Park facebook page.

The singer of Hungarian band Riddim Colony is surrounded by riot police during the protest. (Photo: Ligetvédők - Occupy City Park)

Environmental activists supported by the local community have stationed themselves in Varosliget for nearly three months in protest of the Hungarian government’s project to build a museum quarter in the park. Protesters claim the construction “threatens” one of the first public parks in Europe, adding that the government’s plans for the park involve oversized museums as well as “plenty of restaurants and events facilities that gentrify the public space”.

According to an opinion survey by Ipsos, 75% of the population of Budapest is against the construction project, the press release said.

“The state property development company Liget Ingatlanfejlesztő Zrt. tried to outsource law enforcement to security guards who failed to put an end to the protests,” the press statement says, adding that “as a final attempt government uses riot police against the environmental activists breaching their constitutional rights for demonstrations”.