Record number of participants in the Budapest Pride march, despite the prohibition imposed by Prime Minister Viktor Orban

A huge crowd paraded, in a festive atmosphere, on Saturday, in Budapest, challenging a Gay Pride Police prohibition, an unprecedented regress of the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals in the European Union.

Gay Prade to Budapest Photo: X

The markets and boulevards located along the route of the pride of being gay were full of people, AFP journalists found.

The column pormated to the local time 15.00 (16.00, Romania time), near the Budapest City Hall, adorned with rainbow flags, under a burning sun.

Many of the many participants say they participate in their first Gay Pride, like Zoltan, aged 66.

“I am proud to be gay and I am very afraid that the government wants to get us. I am very surprised that there is so many people.”he said excitedly, writes News.

“Freedom and love cannot be forbidden!”is one of the messages displayed in a city in full effervescence, police supervisor, without tensions in this saddle.

“Defense of the rights of the people”

The nationalist leader Viktor Orban wants to avoid images of violent repression. He removed any intervention of law enforcement, but threatened gay, lesbians and transsexuals with subsequent legal consequences.

The whole of Europe follows this country with 9.6 million inhabitants, which has attracted the anger of the European Commission (EC) because of this prohibition that reminds those in Moscow in 2006 and Istanbul in 2016.

A bisexual student, Akos Horvath, 18 years old, who travels two hours and bought a fan and paint to paint his face, says “It is not just about representing homosexuals, but about defending the rights of the Hungarian people. “

Gay Prade to Budapest Photo: X

After 33 countries expressed their support for this meeting, the Ministry of Justice threatened the diplomats in Budapest that if they part at this prohibited event, they will bear the consequences.

At least 70 MEPs announced their presence ”To tell Viktor Orban that we will not tolerate him to destroy the European project and to stand up the fundamental rights ”Porivity to French Raphaël Glucksmann, who asked the EU to “stop” the nationalist leader.

The rooms have been installed along the route, and the facial recognition could allow the authorities to give fines of up to 500 euros, while the organization or urge to participate can be punished with up to one year in prison.

This procedure has the purpose “To intimidate the people,” According to political analyst Daniel Mikecz, in the context in which, on a legal level, this prohibition violates the European treaties signed by Hungary to his accession to the EU in 2004.

According to the Government, minors should not be exposed to homosexuality and transsexuality and, even less scenes of “Great”.

Apart from a law adopted in mid -March, aiming at the prohibition of this kind, he went to the modification of the Constitution to cover himself. He evokes the best interests of the child in justifying the limitation of freedom to manifest.

“Polarization of the company”

The organizers and the ecological mayor of Budapest Gergely Karacsony have decided, challenging these measures, to keep Gay Pride, he believes that a workshop does not require an official authorization.

The far -right counter -dosts, just many, obtained the authorization to scroll in the same place and put a cross in front of the departure.

Encouraged by Donald Trump's offensive against diversity promotion programs, “Viktor Orban uses before next year's legislative elections a proven recipe, by generating a conflict”according to Daniel Mikecz. “The polarization of the society in the problem of immigration worked well ” In the past, he recalls.

“It is disgusting, it has become a world of exhibition”said under the protection of anonymity Katalin, a resident who supports the prohibition.

Prior to the return of Viktor Orban to power, in 2010, Hungary was one of the most progressive countries in the region, homosexuality was removed from criminal incidence in the early 1960s, and the Civil Union between same -sex is recognized since 1996.

But the nationalist head of the government, a bard of “Iliberalism”changed the situation little by little.