As the day began, some 250 police officers moved in to forcibly remove 20-30 protesters who had been camping in the City Park since March to defend the public park from being built up, and to stop the felling of trees in preparation for the construction of new museums.

After clearing the space, police formed a wall to prevent protesters from returning to the premises as workers and equipment from project company Városliget moved in.

Budapest city councillor Antal Csárdi of LMP called the whole procedure unlawful.

Police later acted against 63 people who blocked the road on Olof Palme sétány, prevented the entry of a machine to the area, and refused police orders to give way.

One person was detained for use of violence against an officer and 11 others for repeated misdemeanours, Budapest Police said.

Another 400-500 people appeared with a large number of bicycles, baby carriages and dogs in the afternoon at the call of park defenders to demonstrate against the changes.

Mayor Gergely Karácsony of the 14th District, home to the park, told reporters that the cabinet might abandon the plan to build a Museum Quarter because of the activists’ resistance.

Source: Hungary Around the Clock

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MTI photo: Balogh Zoltán