The Mayor of Budapest Responds to Police Regarding the Organization of Pride

• The Mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony, was questioned by the police regarding the organization of Pride.
• The Pride march on June 28 gathered nearly 300,000 participants.
• The government of Hungary is attempting to ban events related to LGBTQ.

BUDAPEST, Hungary — The liberal mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony, was questioned on Friday by the police following a summons regarding the organization of the Pride event, which the government of Hungary is seeking to ban.

The Pride march, which took place on June 28, became the largest event of its kind in the history of the country, regardless of the fact that the government’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had previously signed a law that bans such events.

Karácsony arrived at the National Bureau of Investigation of Hungary, where he was awaited by nearly 200 reporters. He stated that the freedom of Hungarian society is under threat.

“This month at Pride in Budapest, we declared to the whole world that neither freedom nor love can be banned,” he said.

The law, adopted by Orbán's party in the summer, bans the holding of Pride events and allows the authorities to use technology to identify participants.

Regardless of the threat of hefty fines, participants still took part in the Pride march in June, as an open protest against the Orbán government. Organizers claim that around 300,000 people participated in the event.

This step by the government is the latest in a series of actions against the LGBTQ community. Orbán's party also adopted a law in 2021 that bans showing content related to homosexuality to minors.

Orbán and his party assert that Pride is an infringement of children's rights to moral and spiritual development. A recent constitutional amendment stated that these rights should take precedence over other fundamental rights, including the right to peaceful assembly.

While the Hungarian government considers the Pride march illegal, in July they announced that they would not appeal against the accountability of participants, but investigations against the organizers are ongoing.

One of the organizers, president of Budapest Pride Viktória Radványi, noted that Karácsony previously described "moral masculinity" in relation to the Pride organization.

Karácsony left the premises after being questioned, stating that his officials had summoned him regarding the organization of the banned event, but he declined to respond to the police's inquiries.

He also emphasized that the Orbán government has been weakened due to the failed attempts to ban Pride.

“This power is weakened and no longer influences people's thoughts,” said Karácsony.

He also noted that the upcoming national elections could be an opportunity to "turn Hungary towards the European path."

“We want to live in a country where freedom belongs not only to those who hold power but to all our fellow citizens,” he added.

Tags: Europe/Politics