Budapest mayor questioned over organising banned pride march
If charged and convicted, Karacsony could face up to a year in prison for organising and encouraging participation in a banned march."They described the accusation. I said that I considered this to be unfounded and that I will lodge a complaint against it," Karacsony told a crowd of some 200 supporters and journalists who had gathered outside the building where he was questioned for more than an hour."Neither freedom nor love can be banned in Budapest," said the mayor, who added: "If it cannot be banned, it cannot be punished."Accompanied by his lawyer, Karacsony did not answer any questions posed by investigators but instead presented them with a statement of his own.The annual pride march had been in doubt since the government passed a law in March restricting gatherings if they break child protection laws on the public promotion on homosexuality.It was the latest measure from Orban's government targeting Hungary's LGBTQ+ community.In 2020, Hungary abolished its legal recognition of transgender people, and in 2021, the government passed a law banning the depiction of homosexuality to under-18s.Despite the ban, the mayor stood in defiance, vowing: "Budapest city hall will organise the Budapest Pride march as a local event on 28 June," and argued that police could not legally ban a municipal event.Last month, police announced they would not take action against attendees who could have faced fines of up to €500 (£427; $586) for attending the Pride parade.However, Hungary's National Bureau of Investigation, which is tasked with investigating serious and complex crimes, said it had launched a probe against an "unknown perpetrator" accused of organising the rally.
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Before Samuel* travelled from Australia to the UK last October, his friends and family warned him about London's reputation for crime. 'I had planned to travel all around Europe,' says the 27-year-old architecture student from Sydney, 'but my parents said, 'once you get to London, you need to be really careful''. Conversations about the soaring robbery and theft rates in London are commonplace for Australian travellers visiting the UK, says Samuel. 'Everyone knows of somebody [in Australia] that's had their phone stolen in London,' he says. 'It's definitely common to hear the warnings in Australia, everyone knows that.' Despite the warnings, Samuel became one of around 80,000 people whose phones were stolen in London last year. Walking up a flight of stairs at Euston station with his mobile in his back pocket, he noticed he had been pick-pocketed when he reached the top. 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'Most of the time they come on electric bicycles, they snatch from the footpaths and they go away: they're really fast,' he says. Now he worries that it could detrimentally affect the tourist industry he is part of. 'It could impact tourists because tourists are afraid of where the crime is… it could impact the business', he admits. 'People are still afraid. Previously I heard that London was the safest place, but crimes are going up now'. Is he concerned for the future of his job? 'Yes, there is a concern,' he admits, before suggesting that 'we should tighten immigration laws' and that 'people should be punished when they commit the crime.' Online, social media is awash with warnings for those visiting the UK. 'So I moved to London this week, and I am so anxious walking on the streets,' says Australian social media user Alicia English while filming herself in a TikTok post. 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