Opposition politicians called for a free and independent public media as well as the abolishment of MTVA, the public media asset manager and fund, at a demonstration on December 17 after a hectic day that saw security guards of the state television station use force against a group of MPs occupying the facility. 

Protests against the so-called slave law erupted on Wednesday when the parliament, with the majority votes of the ruling conservatives, approved changes to the labour code that increased the maximum of overtime by 60% to 400 hours. The protests were led by student groups but in the last couple of days they have been joined by opposition parties. 

The anti-government demonstrations continued on Sunday in front of the parliament building from where thousands marched to the headquarters of the state television. 

A dozen MPs requested that the demands of the protesters be aired. They were demanding the repeal of the contested amendment to the labour code and the new administrative court system, Hungary's accession to the European Public Prosecutor's Office and the creation of an independent public media.

Members of parliament from both sides of the political spectrum spent the night in a room designated for pre-production, and broadcast their moves on social media. Security outside was beefed up with riot police arriving on the scene and for a few hours the entire building was sealed off, even workers were not allowed to leave the facility. Journalists in the newsroom were essentially locked up for a couple of hours, bne IntelliNews learned. 

For much of the morning opposition MPs wandered around the building trying to reach MTVA managing director Daniel Papp and find an editor to have their demand read out. 

Papp, who was appointed managing director in October, had previously been fired in 2011 for blurring out images of the former Supreme Court president in a report, and he was involved in another falsification of a news report involving a press briefing by former MEP Daniel Cohn Bandit.

The group of MPs in the building tried to access the studios where the morning news programme was being broadcast but were denied entry by security staff, armed with guns. Independent MP Akos Hadhazy, who has played a great role in uncovering corruption cases, tried to scale a stairway, but he was held back by security. 

His former party mate, former co-president of the green party LMP Bernadett Szel was recording the incident on her mobile phone, broadcasting it on social media. Security guards used force to push both MPs outside the building. Force was also used against a former Socialist MP, who suffered minor concussion and was taken to hospital.

Public television largely ignored the extraordinary events taking place in the facility and began to report on the incident only after Fidesz issued its first statement condemning the action of MPs. The party spokesman said the “obvious goal of MPs was to intimidate journalists, which are well-known methods of the pro-immigration Soros network".

The MTVA has filed a police complaint against the MPs. "The behaviour and the threatening attitude of the representatives scared the employees of the public service media. With their constant incorrect accusations and disorientation, they try to discredit the institution," according to the statement. 

A few thousand people braving sub-freezing temperatures gathered for the second straight night outside the MTVA facility in protest against Monday’s events at the public television station.

Opposition speakers called the removal of the two politicians by force an unprecedented event since the 1990 change in the political system and vowed to continue the fight against Viktor Orban’s government. Union leaders threatened to launch nationwide strikes nationwide if President Janos Ader signed the "slave law" on extending overtime.