Budapest mayor says probe of banned Pride march sees him as a 'suspect'
Tens of thousands of protesters marched through Hungary's capital city on June 28 as a banned Pride march swelled into a mass anti-government demonstration in one of the biggest shows of opposition to nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
"I have become a suspect, and if in this country this is the price we have to pay for standing up for our own and others' freedom, then I am even proud of it," Mayor Gergely Karacsony said in a post on his Facebook page.
Police did not reply to emailed Reuters questions seeking comment. The mayor's office told Reuters that Karacsony would be questioned by police as a suspect next week.
Orban's conservative nationalist government has gradually curtailed the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in the past decade, and lawmakers passed a law in March that allowed for the banning of Pride marches, citing the need to protect children.
The mayor tried to circumvent the law by organising Pride as a municipal event, which he said did not need a permit. Police, however, banned the event, arguing that it fell under the scope of the child protection law.
Orban had warned of "legal consequences" for organising and attending the march. Police said earlier that they would not investigate those who attended the event.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Asia Live: People evacuated from border regions amid deadly Thailand-Cambodia clash
Asia 11 Thai civilians killed as Thai and Cambodian militaries clash at disputed border: Reports
Singapore Singapore says prolonged suffering of civilians in Gaza is 'unconscionable'
Singapore Khatib Camp to make way for housing, with its functions moving to Amoy Quee Camp
Singapore First BTO flats in Greater Southern Waterfront, Mount Pleasant to go on sale in October
Singapore Primary 1 registration: 29 schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2B
Asia 'Vampire coach': Coercive blood sampling in school casts spotlight on Taiwan's culture of obedience
Singapore 1,300 names, addresses of traffic offenders published online; police investigating
But there is an investigation under way against an unknown perpetrator, news site 444.hu said on Thursday.
Orban's critics have regarded the move to ban Pride as part of a wider crackdown on democratic freedoms ahead of an election next year when the Hungarian leader, whose Fidesz party has swept elections in the past 15 years, will face a strong opposition challenger. REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
12 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Trump says he is not seeking summit with Xi, but may visit China
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with China's President Xi Jinping during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he was not seeking a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, but added that he may visit China at Xi's invitation, which Trump said had been extended. "I may go to China, but it would only be at the invitation of President Xi, which has been extended. Otherwise, no interest!," Trump said on Truth Social. Aides to Trump and Xi have discussed a potential meeting between the leaders during a trip by the U.S. president to Asia later this year, sources previously told Reuters. A trip would be the first face-to-face encounter between the men since Trump's second term in office, at a time when trade and security tensions between the two superpower rivals remain elevated. While plans for a meeting have not been finalized, discussions on both sides of the Pacific have included a possible Trump stopover around the time of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea or talks on the sidelines of the October 30-November 1 event, the people said. The third round of U.S.-China trade talks taking place in Stockholm this week may lay the groundwork ahead of a leaders' summit in the autumn, analysts say. A new flare-up of tariffs and export controls would likely impact any plans for a meeting with Xi. REUTERS
Straits Times
12 minutes ago
- Straits Times
New York officer killed in shooting was Bangladeshi immigrant whose wife was pregnant
Find out what's new on ST website and app. WASHINGTON - The New York police officer killed in a mass shooting in a Manhattan skyscraper on Monday was described by the city's mayor and police commissioner as a heroic Bangladeshi immigrant who saved lives while "putting his life on the line." A gunman opened fire on Monday inside a midtown office tower, killing four people, including Officer Didarul Islam, 36, before fatally shooting himself, officials said. "We lost four souls to another senseless act of gun violence, including a member of the New York City Police Department, Officer Islam," New York Mayor Eric Adams told reporters in a press conference late on Monday. Adams said the officer was a three and a half year veteran of the police department. "He was saving lives, he was protecting New Yorkers," Adams said. "He loved this city, and everyone we spoke with stated he was a person of faith and a person that believed in God." Adams said he met the officer's family on Monday night. "I told them that he was a hero, and we admire him for putting his life on the line," the mayor added. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Thirty dead, over 80,000 evacuated, following heavy rain in Beijing Asia Thai army accuses Cambodia of violating truce Singapore NDP 2025: Enhanced security measures to be put in place around the Padang World Trump says many are starving in Gaza, vows to set up food centres Sport World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro among list of top names for Singapore football coach Business Crypto's comeback: Should Bitcoin and other digital assets be in your portfolio now? Business BYD tops Singapore car sales in first half of 2025 with almost one-fifth of the market Singapore ST Explains: What we know about the Tanjong Katong sinkhole so far Islam was married, had two young sons, and his wife is pregnant with a third child, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in the press conference. "He put himself in harm's way. He made the ultimate sacrifice — shot in cold blood," she said. Islam was working on a paid security detail in the building when the shooting occurred, the commissioner added. Such details allow "companies to hire officers in uniform to provide extra uniform security," she said. Excluding Islam, 42 federal, state, county, municipal, military, and U.S. territories officers have died in the line of duty in the first half of 2025, according to preliminary data from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. REUTERS
Straits Times
42 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Taiwan President Lai calls off US transit as Trump seeks Xi summit
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te had intended to stop in New York on Aug 4 and then Dallas 10 days later. TAIPEI – Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te called off an overseas trip planned for next week after the Trump administration failed to greenlight his stopover in the US, amid concerns it could derail trade talks with China. Taiwan's leader isn't planning any overseas travel in the near future, given the need for typhoon recovery work in southern Taiwan and tariff negotiations with the US, the Presidential Office in Taipei said in a statement late on July 28. Mr Lai had intended to stop in New York on Aug 4 and then Dallas 10 days later as part of a trip to diplomatic allies Paraguay, Guatemala and Belize, Bloomberg reported earlier in July. Planning for that trip was thrown into flux late last week when Taiwanese officials couldn't get their US counterparts to give the go ahead, according to people familiar with the matter. The US had mounting concerns Mr Lai's visit could disrupt trade negotiations with China and a potential summit with President Xi Jinping, the people said. The hesitation over Mr Lai's trip unnerved some officials in the US, as well as in Taipei, who fear President Donald Trump may concede too much to China as he seeks a meeting with Mr Xi, according to the people. Bloomberg reported earlier that Mr Trump's team was reaching out to CEOs to join him on a possible trip to Beijing in 2025. While Mr Lai's trip was never formally announced, officials in Paraguay and Guatemala had been expecting him to arrive in August, but no longer do so, according to people familiar with the preparations for his visit. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Thirty dead, over 80,000 evacuated, following heavy rain in Beijing Asia Thai army accuses Cambodia of violating truce World Trump says many are starving in Gaza, vows to set up food centres Business Crypto's comeback: Should Bitcoin and other digital assets be in your portfolio now? Sport World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro among list of top names for Singapore football coach Business BYD tops Singapore car sales in first half of 2025 with almost one-fifth of the market Asia Giant algal bloom off South Australia devastates marine life, threatens seafood exports Singapore ST Explains: What we know about the Tanjong Katong sinkhole so far Trump officials denied Mr Lai permission to transit through New York after China raised objections with Washington about the visit, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the decision. It was unclear whether he was also blocked from stopping over in Dallas, the newspaper added. The rebuke will fan concerns that Washington's position on the self-ruled democracy, which Beijing considers a part of its territory, is becoming a trade war bargaining chip. In an abrupt policy reversal, Mr Trump already put on the negotiating table some tech curbs imposed on China over national security concerns. 'Trump's decision to deny permission for President Lai to visit New York sends a dangerous signal: that the United States can be bullied by Beijing into silence on Taiwan,' said former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose 2022 visit to Taipei sparked uproar. 'This is a victory for Xi,' she wrote on X. 'Let us hope it is not indicative of a dangerous change in US policy.' The White House didn't reply to a request for comment. A State Department official said transits by high-level Taiwanese officials, including presidents, were fully consistent with longstanding US policy and practice, which hasn't changed. The US could yet suggest an alternative timeframe and layover locations. In 2024, the Taiwanese president pushed back a planned transit through Hawaii and Guam by several months following a Biden administration request to wait until after the US election, according to a person familiar with the matter. Mr Lai is planning to go ahead with his trip later in 2025, according to one person familiar with the plans. His planned visit came at a delicate diplomatic moment. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on July 28 met in Stockholm for talks aimed at advancing a trade deal with ramifications for global markets. An extension of a tariff truce reached between both sides is expected and would help pave the way for a Trump-Xi meeting. China, which has branded Mr Lai a 'separatist' and 'parasite,' views Taiwan as the most sensitive issue in relations with other countries. It has increasingly opposed US interactions with Taiwanese leaders, often by staging large-scale military exercises surrounding the island following Mrs Pelosi's trip to Taipei. Linking Taiwan to trade with China 'sends a dangerous message to Beijing,' said Ms Laura Rosenberger, a former US diplomat who also chaired the American Institute in Taiwan until 2025. 'At a time when Beijing is engaging in increasingly coercive behavior toward Taipei, the US needs to be sending a clear message of commitment to longstanding precedents, not allowing Beijing to once again move the goalposts,' she added. Embattled leader Mr Lai, who won the 2024 presidential election with the lowest winning percentage since 2000, now risks looking weak at home and abroad. Last weekend, a failed attempt to unseat lawmakers handed the opposition more ammunition for its agenda, which includes forging closer ties with Beijing. Adding to the uncertainty, Taiwan's trade officials are currently in Washington for talks aimed at clinching a deal to avert a threatened 32 per cent tariff. All of Taiwan's sitting presidents since the 1990s have traveled to the US on stopovers en route to other destinations. While most visits passed without triggering heightened tensions, a trip by then-leader Lee Teng-hui to speak at Cornell University in 1995 sparked the so-called Third Strait Crisis, with China firing missiles into waters near the main island of Taiwan. Stopover requests, on occasion, have been used as a way for US leaders to signal displeasure with Taiwan's policy. The most prominent example of that came in 2006, when then-US President George W. Bush scuttled Chen Shui-bian's request to transit to Paraguay via either New York or San Francisco. That snub was taken as a sign his unofficial relationship with Washington had suffered a serious blow, after Mr Chen upset the Bush administration with a series of pro-independence policies that risked provoking China. Mr Lai's New York and Dallas stops would have been his first to continental US soil since he became president and Mr Trump took power in January. His transits in Hawaii and Guam last December were followed by what Taipei described as China's largest naval deployment in years along the first island chain, which also includes Japan and the Philippines. BLOOMBERG
