Thousands of people march during a protest in in Budapest, Hungary. Picture / AP
Thousands of people march during a protest in in Budapest, Hungary. Picture / AP
Tens of thousands of Hungarians have protested against government control over the media, which they say helped Prime Minister Viktor Orban to a landslide election victory this month.
The rally in Budapest was the second mass protest against Orban since the April 8 election, with demonstrators urging the fragmented oppositionparties to join forces against the right-wing nationalist Fidesz Party, which won two-thirds of parliamentary seats.
Since 2010, the Hungarian leader has increased his control over the media and put allies in charge of formerly independent institutions, while his stand on refusing to accept large numbers of migrants in Hungary has also brought him into conflict with the European Union.
As tens of thousands of protesters waved flags at the foot of Elizabeth Bridge spanning the Danube, speakers called for freedom of the media and a change in government.
Peter Marki-Zay, who beat the Fidesz candidate in a mayoral byelection in February, urged opposition parties to build an alliance and put aside their former bickering. "History has proved that no oppressive regime lasts forever. We shall fight ... against their media dominance and factories of lies. It is fear that holds this system together, and if from tomorrow people no longer have their fears this system will fall."
Organisers said state media has been turned into Orban's "propaganda machine".
Orban won a third straight term in power. The strongest opposition party in the new parliament is the formerly far-right Jobbik, which has recast its image to be more moderate. Its leader resigned after the election. The leftist opposition parties are also in turmoil.
Meanwhile, Armenian authorities say more than 70 people have been arrested, including two people suspected of building bombs, as large protests against the new government in the eastern European country entered their second week.
Thousands of demonstrators closed off streets in Yerevan during a march pressing demands for the prime minister to resign. Former President Serzh Sargsyan was named premier last week as Armenia moved to a new system of government that reduces the presidency's power and bolsters the prime minister's role. Opponents say the shift effectively makes Sargsyan Armenia's leader for life.
