Pride  events : Protesters block bridges again

A rally organised by independent MP Ákos  Hadházy against the ban imposed on Pride  events and the concomitant restrictions of the  right of assembly, attracted upwards of 1,000  participants – enough to occupy the entire  Erzsébet bridge – on Tuesday evening. 

Addressing the crowd from a stage near  that bridge, Hadházy set the protesters a tar get of blocking four Budapest bridges, as they  did on the night of March 25. 

According to Hadházy, the recent amend ment to the law will not only make it impossible  to hold the Pride parade, but will also allow  participants to be identified with facial recogni tion software, which he calls “technofascism”. 

He said the government wants to ban the  next major anti-government rallies, too.  He called for a 24-hour protest rally to start  at 5 p.m. next Tuesday, adding that such  demonstrations must continue until the  amendment on assembly is revoked. Hadházy said next week’s demonstration  was also announced to the police but they did  not permit it. This decision will be appealed. Among the speakers, theologian Rita Per intfalvi talked about how gayness is not an ill ness, but a variant of the human capacity to  love. “How could a gay young person believe  that they are just like anyone else, if the reli gious and political environment suggests the  opposite?” she asked. 

Perintfalvi said she is unwilling to recog nise a law that openly attacks a group of peo ple, adding “Viktor Orbán should not talk about  protecting children as long as he defends  Zoltán Balog tooth and nail and does not say  what role he and Anikó Lévai played in the par don scandal. She stressed that she does not consider  anyone who thinks hate politics is acceptable  to be a Christian.