Five Injured as Hungary Police, Protesters Clash

Police used water cannons and fired tear gas at the protesters, witnesses said.

Five people were injured on Monday in Budapest as thousands of anti-government protesters clashed with police ahead of the anniversary of Hungary's 1956 uprising against Soviet rule.

The demonstrators threw molotov cocktails to set a water cannon truck on fire near Budapest's Opera House where Socialist Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany was attending a state event ahead of the Oct. 23 anniversary of the uprising.

Police used water cannon and fired tear gas during the clashes, one year after protests in 2006 in which hundreds were injured over several weeks of demonstrations.

"We are treating five people with light injuries," ambulance spokesman Pal Gyorfi said.

Three photographers were among those injured and police arrested three people, Hungarian state news agency MTI reported.

Demonstrators used cars to block a street in the centre of Budapest before police drove them back and split them into small groups.

Gyurcsany, whose leaked admission on a tape that he had lied about the poor state of the country's finances to win re-election last year triggered the protests, called for calm.

"A worthy celebration of 1956 would be for people to shake hands, don't you think?," he said in a speech.

Despite weeks of violent protests in 2006 and the prospect of tens of thousands of people attending opposition rallies on Tuesday, Gyurcsany remains firmly in control and is implementing economic reforms to cut Hungary's huge budget deficit.

President Laszlo Solyom, a fierce critic of Gyurcsany, said police violence from last year had still not been punished.

"Demonstrators must not break the law. But the rule of law is especially hurt by unlawful violent action by the police," Solyom said in a speech to mark the uprising.

The 1956 anniversary celebrations will end on Tuesday.