Budapest mayor questioned over organising banned pride march
The Mayor of Budapest was suspected of helping to organize a LGBTQ march that was banned by the police in the city.
The event took place on June 28, despite the potential legal repercussions warnings of the government of Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, which enacted the event earlier this year.
Despite the threats of fines, organizers say that 200,000 people participated in the rally, which rapidly went into an anti -government protest.
Mayor Gercely Karacely Karaacyson, who appeared in the National Investigation Office of Hungary, wearing a rainbow T -shirt with Capitals coat of arms, said to the supporters: “Neither freedom nor love can be banned in Budapest.”
If he is accused and convicted, Karaxony can be sentenced to up to a year imprisonment to organize and encourage participation in a banned march.
“They told the accusation. I said I thought it was unfounded and I would make a complaint against it.”
“Neither freedom nor love can be banned in Budapest,” the mayor said: “If it is not banned, it cannot be punished.”
Karaxtya, accompanied by his lawyer, did not answer the question asked by the inspectors, and instead presented them his own statement.
The annual pride March has been doubtful since the government has issued a law that restricted meetings if they violated child protection laws on the promotion of the public on homosexuality.
It was the last measure of the Orban government to target Hungary’s LGBTQ+ community.
In 2020, Hungary abolished the legally adoption of transsexual people, and in 2021, the government enacted a law that prohibited the depiction of homosexuality to those under the age of 18.
Despite the ban, the mayor stood in the challenge: “Budapest Municipal Hall will organize the pride march as a local event on June 28” and argued that the police could not legally prohibit a municipal activity.
Last month, the police announced that they would not take action against participants who may face a fine of € 500 ($ 427; $ 586) until the pride parade attended the parade.
However, the National Investigation Office, who was assigned to investigate serious and complex crimes of Hungary, said that he had launched an investigation against an “unknown perpetrator” accused of organizing a rally.
