Ceremonies began outside the Hungarian parliament today to mark the 50th anniversary of the failed uprising against Soviet rule, but only after the streets had been cleared of hundreds of protesters.
There is strong opposition to the prime minister Ferenc Gyurzsany after he admitted lying to get into parliament.
Protesters have been present outside parliament for weeks, but were forced back by police in the early hours of Monday to make way for the official ceremonies. Later in the day it was reported that police had used tear gas and bullets against stone-throwing protestors.
Today's events include the unveiling of a huge monument in Budapest's Freedom Square to those who died in the events of 1956. Whist the Budapest 1956 Freedom Declaration will be signed inside parliament. However a large number of veterans of the uprising are boycotting the celebrations, stating it is being exploited for political capital.
photo from flickr
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