BREAKING – Right-wing radical party closes bridge; Budapest Pride’s route may need to be changed

Hungarian Mi Hazánk Party Budapest Pride (Copy)
Photo: FB/Mi Hazánk

This year’s Budapest Pride is unique because, officially, the Hungarian Parliament banned it, stating that it harms children’s rights. However, the Budapest Municipal Council decided to organise it, and the march will start today at 2 PM in City Hall Park. Mi Hazánk (Our Homeland), a Hungarian right-wing radical opposition party, announced that they would close the Szabadság Bridge, which may result in the need to change the march route.

Right-wing radical party closes Szabadság Bridge

Mayor Gergely Karácsony spoke about the possibility of changing the route of Budapest Pride due to counter-protests. We wrote about those in THIS article. You can check out the original route of the march HERE, which clearly shows that the crowd would go across the Szabadság Bridge in Budapest to reach the Műegyetem Wharf.

However, as Előd Novák, the deputy chairman and MP of Mi Hazánk (Our Homeland), pointed out in a Facebook post yesterday, the bridge will be closed by the party’s activists. Novák slammed Fidesz for passing an amendment banning Budapest Pride but not enforcing it. “We will not allow the LGBTQ propagandists to continue their march,” he concluded.

Hungarian opposition Mi Hazánk MP fined Előd Novák
Előd Novák in the Hungarian Parliament. MTI/Bruzák Noémi

Earlier, Novák said they are organising a performance, “national resistance,” on the Andrássy Avenue–Kálvin Square–Szabadság Bridge route and added they protected Budapest’s most beautiful avenue from the marchers. The police acknowledged their protest march. Novák is especially proud of occupying Andrássy Avenue since it was the main venue of the Pride marches before.

What if Budapest Pride marchers try to break through?

“If the police fail to act, we are prepared to intervene ourselves, albeit with our clearly more limited means. Of course, we do not possess the same legal authority, water cannons, or other resources typically employed in such situations,” Novák told index.hu, explaining what would happen if the Pride marchers attempted to “break through” their performance.

Budapest Pride parade 2023 LGBTQ+ rights Hungary Mayor counter-demonstration
Last year’s Pride. Source: FB/Budapest Pride

Novák also asked the government whether the Hungarian government would expel the participating diplomats.

Check out more news concerning LGBTQ people in Hungary by clicking HERE.

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