HAVING A LAUGH

Thousands Mock Hungary’s Viktor Orban in Ironic Protest

Amid government plans to oust university funded by George Soros.

About 5,000 protesters gathered in Budapest on Saturday to mock Hungarian President Viktor Orban for what they describe as his crackdown on human rights. Ironic slogans dominated the rally, with demonstrators chanting, “Down with press freedom!” and “We do not need Brussels,” Reuters reported. The event, organized by the Two-Tailed Dog Party, a parody party, came after ongoing protests in the past three weeks against legislation that would force out the country’s biggest international university, the Central European University. The legislation is widely seen as an infringement on civil society, and the European Commission has threatened the Hungarian government with legal action over the law. Despite all the criticism, however, Orban’s Fidesz party still has plenty of public support, with a strong lead in recent opinion polls.