BUDAPEST - A monument commemorating the failed 1956 Hungarian uprising against Soviet rule was inaugurated late Monday in Budapest, while only a few kilometres away thousands of protestors battled with police.
The large abstract sculpture made of separate iron beams that come together at a sharp angle was meant to represent the strength of the people.
But a crowd of 300 people continued to chant "Gyurcsany, go away!" as the monument was unveiled near Heroes' Square.
Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany attended the ceremony but President Laszlo Solyom decided against it for security reasons.
The 50th anniversary celebrations of the uprising was marked by violent clashes between far-right protesters and police, who used rubber bullets and tear gas to try to disperse the crowd.
10/23/2006 18:27 GMT