Budapest LGBTQIA+ march swells into massive anti-government demonstration

Australia Broadcast Center

2 days ago

Tens of thousands of protesters have marched through Hungary's capital as a banned LGBTQIA+ rights rally has swelled into a mass anti-government demonstration.
In a major show of opposition to Prime Minister Viktor Orban, crowds set off across one of the main bridges, waving rainbow flags and with some people carrying signs mocking Mr Orban.
Eszter Rein Bodi, one of the marchers, said: "This is about much more. Not just about homosexuality … This is the last moment to stand up for our rights."
One sign read: "None of us are free until everyone is free."
Mr Orban's government has gradually curtailed the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community in the past decade, with a law passed in March that allows for the ban of Pride marches, citing the need to protect children.
Mr Orban's opponents see the move as part of a wider crackdown on democratic freedoms ahead of a national election next year when the veteran prime minister — whose party has dominated Hungary's political scene for 15 years — will face a strong opposition challenger.
Small groups of far-right counter-protesters attempted to disrupt the peaceful march, but police separated them and diverted the route of the march to avoid any clashes.
Mr Orban and his government, who promote a Christian-conservative agenda and have championed family values, have defended the restrictions, saying the need to protect children supersedes all other rights.
The prime minister posted a photo with his grandchildren on the morning of the march, with the caption: "This is what I am proud of."
Marchers included students, families and people from the countryside who said they had never attended a rally before.
The Erzsébet Bridge, built to carry six lanes of traffic, was engulfed with people.
Local media sites including 444.hu and Magyar Hang estimated the crowd at 100,000, though Reuters could not confirm that figure.
Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony told the rally that the message was "clear"; that the government had "no power over us".
March organisers said participants had arrived from 30 different countries, including 70 members of the European Parliament.
More than 30 embassies expressed support for the march and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on Hungarian authorities to let the parade go ahead.
Budapest's mayor had tried to circumvent the law banning the march 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.
Mr Orban provided some clues on Friday about what participants could expect when he warned of "legal consequences" for organising and attending the march.
Earlier this week, Justice Minister Bence Tuzson warned in a letter sent to some foreign embassies in Budapest that organising a prohibited event was punishable by one year in jail, while attending counted as a misdemeanour.
The law that allows for the ban of Pride lets police impose fines and use facial recognition cameras to identify people who attend.
Mr Orban's attacks on Pride initially increased his support, political analyst Gabor Torok wrote on social media, but he said opinion shifted after the police ban and the legal debates surrounding the march.
Mr Orban's dominance and ability to set the political agenda has faced increasing challenges from centre-right Opposition Leader Peter Magyar's Tisza Party, which had a 15-point lead over Mr Orban's Fidesz in a poll this month.
Tisza, which has been avoiding taking a strong position on gay rights issues, did not specify, in response to Reuters questions, whether it believed the Pride march was lawful, but said those attending deserved the state's protection.
Reuters