Latest news with #GergelyKarácsony
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Budapest Pride: Unprecedented crowd defies Hungarian government at 'illegal' march
Well over a hundred thousand people marched in the Budapest Pride march organised by the NGO Rainbow Mission and city hall, despite the government's ban, standing up for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community as well as for freedom of assembly, and against the Hungarian government's policies. In the spring, the Hungarian ruling parties attempted to ban the annual regular human rights march of the LGBTQ community through a series of constitutional and legislative amendments on the grounds that it violates the rights of children, which they have put above other fundamental rights by amending the constitution. The police rejected the application for a permit by the NGOs that usually organise Pride in the past, at which time the Mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony, announced that another event, the Budapest Pride march, would be held as a municipal event, because the municipality is not subject to the law on assembly and therefore, according to their interpretation of the law, does not need to apply for a permit to hold the event. The police called the event illegal and warned that participants could face fines and organisers up to one year in prison. Despite this, a huge crowd turned out. "I feel we have to stand up now, if we don't speak out now we may never have the chance to do so again," one participant told Euronews. "We're not that political, we really just want to be free, and this is how we can be free, by coming out and standing up for ourselves," a young couple told us. There was concern before the event that police had allowed counter-demonstrations by several far-right groups on the route of the march, but in the event, they were separated from the Pride march and their presence did not cause any disruption. Although the Our Homeland counter-demonstrators blocked the Freedom Bridge on the original route of the march, they were surrounded by police on both sides while Pride participants crossed the Elisabeth Bridge. "What is happening here is completely illegal, it is endangering the healthy development of children, and I find it very sad that the police are not stopping this process," Tamás Gaudi-Nagy, executive director of the National Legal Defence Service, told Euronews. "While the national radical organisations have been restricted in their demonstrations, as they have been for many years, the protesters of Our Homeland have not been allowed to cross the Liberty Bridge." The march was joined by more than 70 members of the European Parliament and several mayors from various European capitals. One of the organisers of the event, Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony, who has been threatened with jail by the Hungarian government's justice minister, said in his speech: "If you can ban a Pride event in a European Union member state, then no mayor in Europe is safe, and today, by so many of you coming, you have made Budapest the capital of Europe for this day." Karácsony said that the participants "showed a big gesture to the powers that be", while at the same time he also took a swipe at Péter Magyar, the leader of the strongest opposition party, Tisza, who did not participate in the march and only cautiously posted a message of support on social media without mentioning the name of the event. The mayor said that they would not vote for just anyone in the election against the powers that be. They will support whoever they can rightly expect to make Hungary their common home again. According to the police, to whom Karácsony nevertheless gave special thanks, they had a lot of trouble with what they thought was an illegal gathering, and blamed the organisers for not co-operating with them. However, by 20:00, a total of only 36 people had been stopped and only two people had been arrested - one for hooliganism and one for possession of drugs - meaning that Budapest Pride ended with literally no major incidents.
Euronews
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Massive Pride march in Budapest in defiance of ban
Well over a hundred thousand people marched in the Budapest Pride march organised by the NGO Rainbow Mission and city hall, despite the government's ban, standing up for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community as well as for freedom of assembly, and against the Hungarian government's policies. In the spring, the Hungarian ruling parties attempted to ban the annual regular human rights march of the LGBTQ community through a series of constitutional and legislative amendments on the grounds that it violates the rights of children, which they have put above other fundamental rights by amending the constitution. The police rejected the application for a permit by the NGOs that usually organise Pride in the past, at which time the Mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony, announced that another event, the Budapest Pride march, would be held as a municipal event, because the municipality is not subject to the law on assembly and therefore, according to their interpretation of the law, does not need to apply for a permit to hold the event. The police called the event illegal and warned that participants could face fines and organisers up to one year in prison. Despite this, a huge crowd turned out. "I feel we have to stand up now, if we don't speak out now we may never have the chance to do so again," one participant told Euronews. "We're not that political, we really just want to be free, and this is how we can be free, by coming out and standing up for ourselves," a young couple told us. Counter-protesters few in number and on the wrong bridge There was concern before the event that police had allowed counter-demonstrations by several far-right groups on the route of the march, but in the event, they were separated from the Pride march and their presence did not cause any disruption. Although the Our Homeland counter-demonstrators blocked the Freedom Bridge on the original route of the march, they were surrounded by police on both sides while Pride participants crossed the Elisabeth Bridge. "What is happening here is completely illegal, it is endangering the healthy development of children, and I find it very sad that the police are not stopping this process," Tamás Gaudi-Nagy, executive director of the National Legal Defence Service, told Euronews. "While the national radical organisations have been restricted in their demonstrations, as they have been for many years, the protesters of Our Homeland have not been allowed to cross the Liberty Bridge." Mayor Karácsony: Budapest 'capital of Europe for the day' The march was joined by more than 70 members of the European Parliament and several mayors from various European capitals. One of the organisers of the event, Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony, who has been threatened with jail by the Hungarian government's justice minister, said in his speech: "If you can ban a Pride event in a European Union member state, then no mayor in Europe is safe, and today, by so many of you coming, you have made Budapest the capital of Europe for this day." Karácsony said that the participants "showed a big gesture to the powers that be", while at the same time he also took a swipe at Péter Magyar, the leader of the strongest opposition party, Tisza, who did not participate in the march and only cautiously posted a message of support on social media without mentioning the name of the event. The mayor said that they would not vote for just anyone in the election against the powers that be. They will support whoever they can rightly expect to make Hungary their common home again. According to the police, to whom Karácsony nevertheless gave special thanks, they had a lot of trouble with what they thought was an illegal gathering, and blamed the organisers for not co-operating with them. However, by 20:00, a total of only 36 people had been stopped and only two people had been arrested - one for hooliganism and one for possession of drugs - meaning that Budapest Pride ended with literally no major incidents.
CBS News
28-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Hungary's LGTBQ community defies government ban to march in Budapest Pride
With rainbow flags flying high, tens of thousands of LGBTQ Hungarians and their supporters took to the streets of Budapest for a Pride parade, defying a government ban and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's legal threats against activists. Organizers for the 30th edition of the Pride march in the Hungarian capital said they expect a record turnout of more than 35,000 people. A person attends the Budapest Pride March in Budapest, Hungary, June 28, 2025. Lisa Leutner / REUTERS "This is about much more, not just about homosexuality, .... This is the last moment to stand up for our rights," Eszter Rein Bodi, one of the marchers, told Reuters. "None of us are free until everyone is free," one sign read. Orbán's populist party in March fast-tracked a law through parliament that made it an offense to hold or attend events that "depict or promote" homosexuality to minors aged under 18. Orbán earlier made clear that Budapest Pride was the explicit target of the law. People carry a Rainbow flag as they take part in the Budapest Pride parade in downtown Budapest on June 28, 2025. ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP via Getty Images Hungary's recent law allows authorities to use facial recognition tools to identify individuals who attend a prohibited event. Being caught could result in fines of up to 200,000 Hungarian forints ($586). Organizers face up to one year in prison. But on Friday, Pride organizers, along with Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony, European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib and Vice President of the European Parliament Nicolae Stefanuta, said the march will take place Saturday despite official threats of heavy fines for participants and even jail time for the liberal mayor. "The government is always fighting against an enemy against which they have to protect Hungarian people ... This time, it is sexual minorities that are the target," Karácsony told a news conference. "We believe there should be no first and second class citizens, so we decided to stand by this event." Participants on Saturday remained defiant. "I am proud to be gay... and I am very scared that the government wants to bring us down. I am very surprised that there are so many people, I want to cry," a 66-year-old participant, who gave only his first name, Zoltan, told AFP. People pose for a photographer as they take part in the Budapest Pride parade in downtown Budapest on June 28, 2025. PETER KOHALMI/AFP via Getty Images One woman told CBS News partner BBC she was attending because she wants a country of "diversity" for her children. "We have a law that bans people who are different from others to gather. This is why we are here. Because it's hurting our rights. That's why we came," Luca, 34, said. She told the BBC she is worried about her 4-year-old daughter's future living "in a country where she can't love anyone she wants to." Critics of the Pride ban and other Hungarian legislation targeting LGBTQ+ communities say the policies are reminiscent of similar restrictions against sexual minorities in Russia. Orbán, seen as Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest ally in the European Union, has in recent years prohibited same-sex adoption and banned any LGBTQ+ content, including in television, films, advertisements and literature that is available to minors. His government argues that exposure to such content negatively affects children's development. But opponents say the moves are part of a broader effort to scapegoat sexual minorities and consolidate his conservative base. People attend The Budapest Pride March in Budapest, Hungary, June 28, 2025. Lisa Leutner / REUTERS Speaking to state radio on Friday, Orbán downplayed the possibility of violent clashes between police and participants, but warned that attending Pride "will have legal consequences." "Of course, the police could break up such events, because they have the authority to do so, but Hungary is a civilized country, a civic society. We don't hurt each other," he said. More than 70 members of the European Parliament, as well as other officials from countries around Europe, are expected to participate in Saturday's march. Lahbib, the European Commissioner, said Friday that "all eyes are on Budapest" as Pride marchers defy the government's ban. "The EU is not neutral on hate," she said. "We cannot stay passive. We cannot tolerate what is intolerable." Counter demonstrations On Thursday, radical right-wing party Our Homeland Movement announced it had requested police approval to hold assemblies at numerous locations across the city, many of them on the same route as the Pride march. A neo-Nazi group said it too would gather Saturday at Budapest City Hall, from which the Pride march is set to depart. The group declared that only "white, Christian, heterosexual men and women" were welcome to attend its demonstration. A spokesman of a far-right Hungarian organization speaks to journalists at their protest in the same place as the 30th Budapest Pride March in Budapest, Hungary, on July 28. Balint Szentgallay/NurPhoto via Getty Images A woman, who only gave her first name as Katalin, told AFP on Saturday she agreed with the ban though she hoped there would be no clashes. "Disgusting... it's become a fad to show off ourselves," she said.
Euronews
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Budapest Pride goes ahead in defiance of Orban ban
Senior European Union officials joined Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony at an international press conference on Friday at City Hall to mark the event. Mayor Karácsony opened the event by highlighting the significance of the large media turnout, saying it reflects deep concerns about the state of democracy in Hungary. "Hungary has become a laboratory for dismantling democracy over the past 15 years," the mayor said, calling the attempted ban on Pride the culmination of that process. He emphasized that Saturday's Pride parade is a municipal event and is not subject to the recent legal bans introduced in the spring. "Love cannot be banned, no one can be a second-class citizen in Hungary," Karácsony declared. "That's why the capital's municipality has taken the lead in organising Budapest Pride." Karácsony welcomed the strong show of international support, noting the presence of representatives and mayors from nearly 30 countries. When asked about reported far-right counter-demonstrations organised by the Our Homeland Movement and the 64 Counties Youth Movement—both of which have reportedly received police permits— Mayor Karácsony responded that he would personally vouch that no reprisals would be taken against those participating in Budapest Pride. He stressed that it would reflect poorly on Hungary if freedom of assembly could not be protected at a municipal event, while far-right groups were allowed to protest against others' rights. He expressed confidence that such counter-demonstrations would not be permitted, adding that in recent years, police had handled similar situations responsibly. "I am sure that unless there is an explicit political order for the police not to fulfil their constitutional duty, they will carry it out professionally—as they have done in previous years," he added. In response to further questions, the mayor added that the city would deploy hundreds of its own security officers and, for the first time, hire private security guards to help ensure the safety of the event. Meanwhile, the national civil law enforcement agency of Hungary (ORFK) said on Friday evening that, because the city had not appealed the ban, it had become final. However, the city disputes the legality of the ban, arguing that municipal events do not require a permit and therefore cannot be lawfully prohibited on that basis. EU Commissioner for Equality Hadja Lahbib also spoke at the press conference, condemning discriminatory treatment of LGBTQ+ people under Hungarian law. 'It is not acceptable to think that members of the LGBT community are subject to different rules than other people,' she said.'Budapest is famous for its acceptance, and diversity is one of the foundations of the European Union. This diversity must be protected.' Lahbib added. 'Saturday's event is not just a parade—it is a demonstration and a celebration of the fact that we are diverse, and the fact that we can show it, we can live it also.' Nicolae Ștefănuță (Renew Europe), Vice-President of the European Parliament, came on behalf of European Parliament President Roberta Metsola to deliver a unanimous message: human rights must be respected. Metsola said that the EP delegation of around 200 people to the march would be the largest group of human rights defenders. Ștefănuță pointed out that by joining the EU, member states are also accepting common European values. "If 50,000 people want to take part in a peaceful event, they have the right to do so, and this must be guaranteed in Hungary in accordance with European law and the Hungarian authorities have a duty to protect the participants," he explained, adding that Pride is a celebration of love and pride. Budapest Pride Spokesman Máté Hegedűs recalled that the parade has been held peacefully for decades and that they have been preparing for the 30th anniversary for two years. This year's slogan is "We are at home" - a message that the LGBTQ+ community is not an ideological product imported from the West. Hegedűs said they expect the police to protect the participants of the event from any potential far-right threats. The ban on Budapest Pride has become an important issue in the EU More than 70 MEPs are planning to attend Budapest Pride to protest against the event's ban and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's policies. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called on the Hungarian authorities to allow Pride to take place in Budapest. She said it was important that the event should take place without fear and without any criminal or administrative sanctions against the organisers or participants. Prime Minister Orbán said that the Commission President was behaving like Moscow: "She sees Hungary as a subordinate country and thinks that she can tell Hungarians from Brussels how to live, what to like, what not to like, what their legal system should be, what to ban and what not to ban." In the European Parliament plenary session last week, centrist and left-wing MEPs called on the EU to take action against Hungary over its ban on the Pride parade. Spain's Iratxe García Pérez, who leads the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group in the European Parliament, said they could see and hear the LGBTQ+ people of Hungary and would march alongside them proudly and loudly. Several members of the Left in the European Parliament (GUE/NGL) will also take part in Saturday's march. Manon Aubry, co-chair of the EP's radical left group, explained: "By taking part in Pride we are sending a clear message: wherever fascists like Orban attack the rights of the LGBT community, women or minorities, we will be there to stand in their way. We hope that the participation of MEPs in this march will prompt the Commission to react and put an end to its lenient attitude towards this regime abusing human rights. We march with pride to defend the right to love who you want." Far-right marches After the police banned the Pride march on the grounds of the Child Protection Act, Mayor Karácsony announced that the municipality of Budapest and the Rainbow Mission Foundation would organise an event on June 28 called Budapest Pride Freedom Day. In a joint statement, 71 Hungarian NGOs have expressed their support for the organisers of Budapest Pride and the free exercise of the right to peaceful assembly. Like the Our Homeland Movement, the far-right 64 Counties Youth Movement has announced rallies in several locations across the capital on Saturday. The movement has also received permission from the police to hold a rally in the City Hall Park, beginning in the morning. Pride organisers announced a few days ago that they would also hold a rally in the park. Several European countries have warned their citizens that attending Budapest Pride could result in a €500 fine and have highlighted increased security risks due to planned far-right counter-demonstrations.
The Guardian
19-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Mayor will ‘come up with plan C' if police try to impose ban on Budapest Pride
The mayor of Budapest has vowed to go ahead with the city's Pride march next weekend, declaring he will 'come up with a plan C' even if the police try to impose a government-backed ban. Hungarian police said on Thursday they were banning the country's main Pride march from taking place in the capital, citing recent legislation passed by Viktor Orbán's government that prohibits the promotion of same-sex relationships to under-18s. 'The police, acting within their authority over public assemblies, prohibit the holding of the assembly at the aforementioned location and time,' the police said. But Gergely Karácsony, the liberal mayor, said the gathering would go ahead regardless, saying the police decision had 'no value' because the march did not require official authorisation as it was a municipal event organised by the city council. 'Budapest city hall will organise the Budapest Pride march on 28 June as a city event. Period,' he wrote on Facebook. The mayor, who was re-elected to the position last summer, is among the harshest critics of the rightwing government's politics. He has hung an LGBTQ+ and a Ukrainian flag on the administration building in central Budapest, in defiance of Orbán's Fidesz party's rhetoric. In an interview with the Guardian this week, before the police statement, Karácsony said he was determined the event would go ahead. 'There is currently no law that could ban [a municipal event],' he said. 'Obviously, anything can happen in Hungary. But we will come up with a Plan C.' Dozens of MEPs have said they will attend a Pride event in the city in defiance of the government, as well as politicians including the Spanish culture minister, Ernest Urtasun; Ireland's former taoiseach, Leo Varadkar; and the mayors of Amsterdam and Brussels. Karácsony, who won a seat in the Hungarian parliament as a member of a new green party in 2010, the same year Orbán came to power, said he also expected the police to help guarantee the safety of the event. 'I believe that everyone can attend safely on 28 June,' he said. Since Orbán returned to power, Hungary has passed a series of laws which have been criticised at home and across the EU for curtailing the rights of the country's sexual and gender minorities in the name of 'child protection'. The bill passed in March by the Fidesz-majority parliament was only the latest but perhaps starkest example, seen by many as a direct attack on Budapest Pride, which has been held in the city for nearly three decades. Karácsony, who was elected mayor of the capital in 2019 and was re-elected in 2024 by just a few hundred votes, insists his drive to ensure the march lives on is not about currying favour with voters. 'A good politician has a strong moral compass,' he said. 'But I know that most Budapest residents agree with me.' At a time when the Hungarian LGBTQ+ community feels increasingly embattled, Karácsony has openly supported LGBTQ+ rights. He was among the speakers at Budapest Pride in 2021, after the government passed a law banning the 'display or promotion of homosexuality' to under-18s. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion The mayor's support of liberal views has earned him the ire of the increasingly authoritarian populist government, which has portrayed him variously as an agent for a previous socialist prime minister, for the US billionaire George Soros, the Biden administration and the EU. Karácsony was one of the strongest candidates to stand against Orbán in the last general election in 2022. In the end, the six-party joint opposition chose another city mayor, Péter Márki-Zay, to run for PM. Fidesz retained a two-thirds majority in parliament, and Orbán was elected for a fourth consecutive term. Karácsony told the Guardian he would not run in the 2026 general election, where Orbán is expected to face his strongest opponent to date, Péter Magyar. Magyar, a conservative politician, has not endorsed Pride, but spoken up for the right of people to assemble. 'We use power to encourage or support those who need it,' said Karácsony, a sociologist by trade. Quite what will happen on 28 June is unclear. Orbán's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyás, told a briefing on Wednesday that no matter what the mayor said, a Pride gathering would fall under the legislation that governs the right to assemble. In their statement police said any appeal against the ban must be lodged with the Hungarian supreme court within three days. The march, they said, 'by its very nature cannot be held without the representation' of people belonging to the LGBTQ+ community and that under-18s could be present along the route. 'If it cannot be stated with absolute certainty that the display is not taking place in the presence of persons under 18 years of age, the assembly would be in breach of the ban,' the police said.
