“All we want for Christmas is democracy”

Thousands of Hungarians flooded Budapest's streets Sunday in the fourth and largest protest in a week against a right-wing authoritarian rule, Victor Orban.

At minus temperatures and holding Hungarian and European Union flags about 10,000 demonstrators protested from the historical square of heroes towards parliament and then towards state television in a march they called “Merey Xmas, Sir Prime Minister”.

March was largely peaceful, but police used tear gas in protesters outside the television station late at night.

The demonstration was organised by opposition parties, students and trade unions to seek a cheaper media, the withdrawal of a law on work obliging workers to work overtime, as well as an independent judiciary.

“All I want for Christmas is democracy”, written on a banner, Reuters writes.

Hundreds of policemen in the rioting march said it was one of the biggest demonstrations Orban faced since he entered power in 2010 and began putting pressure on courts, media and nongovernmental groups.