A large crowd had gathered outside the state-owned public service channel MTVA's headquarters. The demonstrators were waving Hungarian flags. Many were holding placards with messages such as "Independent public media" and "Not left, not right, just Hungarian!"
Since Prime Minister Viktor Orbán returned to power in 2010, many independent media outlets in the country have either gone bankrupt or been transformed into government-friendly organs. Furthermore, public media have more or less been forced to follow the ruling Fidesz party's line.
MTVA has been stamped as a mouthpiece for Orbán and rarely publishes critical pieces about the government. At the same time, it is significantly more critical towards the opposition.
Saturday's protest was organized by opposition leader Péter Magyar and his party Tisza. Magyar has urged MTVA to provide "more balanced" news.
It's enough with lies, it's enough with propaganda, he said to the cheering crowd.
One of those who came out to demonstrate was Karola Vitez.
Taxpayers demand truthful information, not this dishonest tsunami of propaganda, said the 43-year-old preschool teacher to AFP.
