Students throughout Hungary protest gov't education cutbacks

（Xinhua）  16:32, December 13, 2012

BUDAPEST, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Several thousand Budapest students marched through the city on Wednesday evening following smaller protests throughout the country demanding the government reverse a decision to cut university funding and drastically reduce scholarships.

The students marched from the Technology University to Elizabeth Bridge, one of the central bridges connecting the two halves of Budapest, where they completely halted rush-hour traffic as they marched across and into the downtown section of the city. From there, they marched to the National Economy Ministry.

They asked to see a responsible party, but no-one came forward, so the crowd continued on to Parliament, forcing their way past the barriers around the building. Police blocked the entrance to the building and eventually forced the students to leave the area.

The students are demanding the government restore admissions and scholarships to the level of two years ago, end its university budget-cutting, and stop forcing scholarship recipients to sign contracts agreeing to work in Hungary on graduation as a condition of scholarship receipt.