Hungarian Court Rejects Opposition's Plan for Extended Pride Protest
Legal challenges emerge after police deny permit for 24-hour demonstration in Budapest.
The Hungarian judiciary has intervened in a planned 24-hour protest by independent politician Ákos Hadházy and his supporters, aimed at opposing government measures that restrict LGBTQ+ Pride events.
Following the police's refusal to allow the demonstration, Hadházy filed a legal appeal to the Kuria, Hungary's supreme court, seeking a resolution for a longer protest duration in the heart of Budapest.
According to reports, the police initially approved the gathering only until 4 AM, significantly limiting Hadházy's goal of raising awareness regarding restrictions on the right to assembly.
Prior to this, Hadházy had demonstrated on the Erzsébet Bridge, expressing his discontent with the government's prohibitive stance on Pride events.
He indicated that the prior protest was just the beginning and that he planned further actions until the government retracted its legislation aimed at suppressing such gatherings.
Hadházy commented, “This is just the first step.
I organized another, 24-hour demonstration.
If necessary, we will continue.” However, the police's denial of the extended protest has prompted him to seek legal redress from the Kuria.
While awaiting the court's decision, Hadházy stated he could not provide further details about the protest plans.
He emphasized that the aim was to gather a large number of participants to demonstrate their determination to the authorities.
Meanwhile, David Bedő, the head of the Momentum party's parliamentary group, expressed concerns over the police's decision, noting that permission was only granted until 4 AM.
The Kuria has since ruled against Hadházy and his supporters, stating in their justification that the exercise of the right to assembly must not directly infringe upon the rights of others.
Any restrictions imposed must not undermine the exercise of fundamental rights.
They indicated that while slowing or impeding traffic may accompany the holding of the gathering, the specific goal of the assembly cannot be to obstruct traffic.
Consequently, the pride-related protest can only be conducted from Tuesday afternoon at 4 PM until Wednesday morning at 4 AM. Political analysts have previously remarked that the occupancies of bridges have not yielded concrete results and do not appear to significantly impact government popularity.
Analyst Attila Tibor Nagy noted that such demonstrations would only be effective if large crowds were mobilized, suggesting that Hadházy’s endeavors would hold significance only if they succeeded in drawing mass participation.
Following the police's refusal to allow the demonstration, Hadházy filed a legal appeal to the Kuria, Hungary's supreme court, seeking a resolution for a longer protest duration in the heart of Budapest.
According to reports, the police initially approved the gathering only until 4 AM, significantly limiting Hadházy's goal of raising awareness regarding restrictions on the right to assembly.
Prior to this, Hadházy had demonstrated on the Erzsébet Bridge, expressing his discontent with the government's prohibitive stance on Pride events.
He indicated that the prior protest was just the beginning and that he planned further actions until the government retracted its legislation aimed at suppressing such gatherings.
Hadházy commented, “This is just the first step.
I organized another, 24-hour demonstration.
If necessary, we will continue.” However, the police's denial of the extended protest has prompted him to seek legal redress from the Kuria.
While awaiting the court's decision, Hadházy stated he could not provide further details about the protest plans.
He emphasized that the aim was to gather a large number of participants to demonstrate their determination to the authorities.
Meanwhile, David Bedő, the head of the Momentum party's parliamentary group, expressed concerns over the police's decision, noting that permission was only granted until 4 AM.
The Kuria has since ruled against Hadházy and his supporters, stating in their justification that the exercise of the right to assembly must not directly infringe upon the rights of others.
Any restrictions imposed must not undermine the exercise of fundamental rights.
They indicated that while slowing or impeding traffic may accompany the holding of the gathering, the specific goal of the assembly cannot be to obstruct traffic.
Consequently, the pride-related protest can only be conducted from Tuesday afternoon at 4 PM until Wednesday morning at 4 AM. Political analysts have previously remarked that the occupancies of bridges have not yielded concrete results and do not appear to significantly impact government popularity.
Analyst Attila Tibor Nagy noted that such demonstrations would only be effective if large crowds were mobilized, suggesting that Hadházy’s endeavors would hold significance only if they succeeded in drawing mass participation.
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