Civil rights groups, including the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (TASZ) are questioning the legality of some police actions taken during the October 23 riots. Pictures and videos show police beating and kicking people lying on the ground defenseless, sometimes already in handcuffs; cops throwing cobblestones at protesters and using non-standard, privately purchased weapons such as baton-like but flexible sticks called „viperas” (vipers) – not this kind of viper, though.
Identification of potential Dirty Harrys is however difficult, if not impossible, since none of the thousands of policemen deployed wore IDs during the fights. Budapest police chief Péter Gergényi told Index.hu they might have lost their badges, which they are obliged to wear according to the Hungarian Police Act. News organs that publish riot pictures tend to blur the faces of policemen, although it is legally unclear why an officer on duty should remain unidentifiable.
Now, on to the contest! If you can identify any of the policemen in the following pictures or videos, send his or her name and rank to Riots in Hungary and Win International Fame NOW! No purchase necessary. Contest void where prohibited by law.
At least one of the policemen is throwing a piece of stone at – seemingly innocent - protesters in this video we received via Paraszolvencia. But can you spot his badge number?
Innocent or not, the lone man in this video was unfortunate enough to bump into a bunch of riot cops while standing on a corner in downtown shopping street Váci utca. Your task: name at least one of the nine cops who beat him.
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