Despite the prohibition of the government at the event, the police did not intervene. Small groups of extreme right -wing counter -protesters tried to disturb the parade, but the police stopped them and led the parade via a different route.
According to the organizers, almost 200,000 people participated in the Pride in Budapest on Saturday. That is a record for the Pride procession in Hungary. “We estimate the number of people present at 180,000 to 200,000. It is difficult to determine the exact number, because so many people have never come to the Pride in Budapest,” said Viktoria Radvanyi, chairman of the event AFP. The green mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karacsony, was also pleased with the record rise.
Paul is not going along with Pridemars Budapest, Halsema is
‘Freedom and love cannot be prohibited’
Participants wore umbrellas in the colors of the rainbow and protest signs with the text ‘Freedom and love cannot be banned’. Many police sirens were heard in the area on Saturday afternoon.
Despite the prohibition of the government at the event, the police did not intervene. © AFP
Under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, legislation has been implemented in Hungary that limits the freedom of LGBTI people. The European Commission for this was a matter of this against the country. The Pride is recently forbidden, but mayor of Budapest Gergely Karácsony says that he is organizing the event on behalf of the municipality and therefore cannot be prosecuted for violating the legislation.
Among others, Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema rose in the Mars with Karácsony. “I told him that he and the international queer community, find Amsterdam by their side in the struggle for freedom, being able to be who you are, loving who you want from. His steadfastness under high pressure is impressive,” she says. Halsema saw that the extreme right-wing anti-pride demonstrators were kept away by the police. It was “a small group, remotely” and that “was not in proportion to the huge masses of people who walked in the march.”
Reactions Dutch politicians
The Dutch ambassador in Hungary, MPs, representatives of the Amsterdam Pride, people from Amnesty International, MEPs and European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib also walked along.
The Utrecht alderman Dennis de Vries was also there and reports that it was a nice manifestation. “I have hardly seen any counter -protesters. And the police also resigned.” A spokeswoman for Amnesty also announced from Budapest in the afternoon that the march was “fantastic festive”.
State Secretary Mariëlle Paul (emancipation) had also traveled to Budapest to walk along, but finally saw it off because of the “unclear situation around the Mars”. The VVD minister has asked Brussels to stop funds for Hungary until the country shows that it is committed to, among other things, equal rights for LGBTI people, freedom of the press and restoring the rule of law.
Participants Pride can be fined
“Today Budapest belongs to Europe,” said Karácsony on Saturday. “Thanks to everyone who sympathizes with us and believes that a free city can also free others.”
Orbán warns of legal consequences for pride participants
The travel advice for Budapest is green. The Netherlands did, however, warned that participants in “an LGBTIQ+meeting” such as the Pride can get a fine of up to 500 euros. The police can also use face recognition.
Organizers of the Pride can get a prison sentence. The Hungarian police have warned about disturbances during the Mars, because a counter -demonstration of an extreme right -wing party was also announced for which permission was given.