Police fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators demanding the prime minister's resignation but the chaos gripping the Hungarian capital appeared to be ebbing Thursday after three nights of violence. Fewer than 100 protesters milled around Kossuth Square, the plaza abutting parliament, late Thursday morning, hours after some 15,000 rallied into the night. The square was littered with pamphlets condemning the government and urging more Hungarians to join the protest. The protest Wednesday night was largely peaceful. But police, outfitted with stronger riot gear after previous clashes left over 100 officers injured, fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of demonstrators who taunted police for several hours early Thursday. The unrest quieted down at about 3 a.m. (0100GMT). Fifteen protesters were injured, including two seriously hurt by tear gas canisters, authorities was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. Still, the latest night of unrest was far less violent than the riots and looting that left hundreds hurt and caused damage valued at hundreds of thousands of euros (dollars). The protests calling for Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany's resignation began Sunday following leaks of his taped comments that he had «lied morning, evening and night» about the economy. The tape was made at a closed-door meeting in late May, weeks after Gyurcsany's government became the first in post-communist Hungary to win re-election.
