16 injured, 62 detained in third night of Budapest violence

BUDAPEST: Sixteen people were injured and 62 detained early Thursday after Hungarian police clashed with extremist protestors for a third consecutive night in Budapest, authorities said.         

Ambulance services took 16 injured to hospitals overnight, at least two in a serious condition, said Pal Gyorfi, a spokesman for the emergency services.         

No police were injured overnight, although more than 100 police have been hurt in scuffles since the beginning of the unrest Monday night, police spokeswoman Eva Taffener said.   

Sixty two people were brought into police precincts, but seven of those had been released by morning, she said. This brought to almost 200 the number detained over the past three nights.      

Police early Thursday used tear gas against 200-300 mainly young people who were taunting and throwing bricks at them in central Budapest, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany.            

Earlier in the evening, more than 10,000 demonstrators had gathered in front of parliament for the third consecutive night to protest against Gyurcsany.          

The 44-year-old prime minister set off a political outcry after it was revealed Sunday he had admitted to Socialist deputies in May that he had lied to the country about the dire state of the economy in order to win re-election in April. The strong police presence on Wednesday night was designed to prevent the kind of violent demonstrations which left more than 200 people injured and 137 arrested on Monday and Tuesday nights.