It is Christmastime. But in breathtakingly beautiful Budapest, it is no time for festivities as thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets for a fourth consecutive day, defying freezing temperatures.
Protesters walked almost eight kilometers on Monday evening to Hungary's national television station to voice their anger about how the channel was reporting on the protests which were sparked by parliament's adoption of two controversial laws.
One is about the extension of possible overtime working hours from 250 to 400 per year, and second creates new administrative courts, which protesters contend would not be impartial.
Political leaders addressed the crowd in front of the TV building. Andras Fekete-Gyor, president of the political party "Momentum", was among them.
"In this very moment, Orban's propaganda is lying, paid for by our money," Andras Fekete-Gyor, president of the Momentum political party, told cheering protesters in a reference to Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
"In this very moment, they say about us on TV that we are criminals and hooligans."
Andras Fekete-Gyoor, president of Momentum, speaks to the protesters outside the state television in Budapest, December 17, 2018. /CGTN Photo
Police in full riot gear, with pepper spray canisters attached to their protective armor, were deployed to protect the station. A few firecrackers were thrown behind police lines, but the evening ended without clashes, unlike previous days.
Some opposition MPs were allowed to come close to the TV building so they could try to give their list of complaints to the television bosses. But there was nobody to hear them.
Police in riot gear are deployed to protect the state TV building in Budapest, December 17, 2018. /CGTN Photo
Sunday's protests started several hours earlier at Heroes Square where people gathered before they started marching towards the parliament. In the crowd, we met Peter Tarkanyi, organizer of the protests.
"I don't think this government listens to its people and I think this is why some of the protests that we have seen in the past days have been turning violent. People are depressed; people are feeling that their voices are not heard. We expect that if we take it to the streets by tens of thousands and we are peaceful maybe our voices are going to be heard," Tarkanyi said.
Peter Tarkanyi, organizer of the protests, speaks to CGTN, December 17, 2018. /CGTN Photo
'Slave law'
More than 10,000 people came to protest two recently-adopted new laws, with the so-called "slave law" being their particular focus. Protesters think the law serves the interests of big companies and that they will harvest the biggest benefits from extending overtime working hours and also from extending the period for calculating and paying that overtime to workers for three years.
Then there is the law that establishes new administrative courts which demonstrators fear will be controlled by the justice ministry and will therefore be under the direct influence of the government.
Protesters listen to speakers on a stage erected in front of the Hungarian parliament in Budapest. /CGTN Photo
On the other side, the government is dismissing the claims and accusing the opposition of inciting violent protests.
"Every aspect of street violence is unacceptable. Hungary is a constitutional state which means the law must be obeyed by all," Hungarian government spokesperson Istvan Hollik said.
"It was apparent that the aggressive political activists who were on the streets yesterday do not respect anybody or anything. They don't respect Christianity, they don't respect the law and they don't respect others.”
As the standoff between the protesters and the government in Budapest continues, it doesn't seem likely that any side is going to back down and it appears that compromise is not on the table.
(Top image: Protesters march from Heroes Square in Budapest, December 17, 2018. /CGTN Photo)