Hungary: Demonstrations planned in Budapest February 10 /update 13

Event

Several demonstrations are expected to take place in Budapest from 13:00 to 17:30 (local time) on Sunday, February 10, to protest Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's State of the Nation speech and the newly implemented labor law. Demonstrators will reportedly gather at Hősök tere (Heroes Square) at 13:00 and march to the parliament building beginning at 13:45, while a second demonstration is planned from Szent György tér (St. George Square) to the National Court of Auditors from 14:00. A third demonstration protesting political suppression is also set to take place on Sunday between 14:00 to 20:00 on Lánchíd Street. 

Meanwhile, the Young People for Democracy group threatened to block traffic on the Széchenyi Chain Bridge from 08:00 on Sunday and subsequently participate in the march from Heroes Square to the parliament building at 13:00. A heightened security presence and localized traffic disruptions are to be expected near the demonstration site. Clashes between protesters and security forces cannot be ruled out.

Context

Protests denouncing a controversial labor law and judicial reform first erupted in Hungary on December 12, 2018. President János Áder signed the labor reforms into law despite the protests. Opponents of the law have called the reforms a "slave law"; the law increased the number of overtime hours employers can demand employees to work from 250 to 400 hours a year. It also allows associated overtime payment to be delayed up to three years. On January 3, opposition members of parliament pledged to make 2019 a "year of resistance" against the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Advice

Individuals in Budapest are advised to avoid all demonstrations as a precaution, anticipate localized business and transportation disruptions near protest sites, and obey instructions issued by the local authorities.