On Tuesday afternoon, in an extraordinary procedure, Parliament passed the legislation to ban Pride by 136 votes to 27. The proposal was supported by the ruling Fidesz and KDNP parties, as well as by Mi Hazánk and Jobbik, which entered Parliament on the joint opposition list.

Opposition MPs Dávid Bedő and Lajos Lőcsei of Momentum, along with independent MP Ákos Hadházy, lit smoke bombs in the chamber in protest against the curtailment of the right of assembly, chanting, “We will not let it happen!” They also played the Soviet anthem and scattered photographs of Orbán and Putin kissing among the benches.

As the liberal Momentum party stated, the amendment “is another step by the state party towards Putin’s dictatorship, deploying facial recognition software against those who dare to speak out against the regime and oppression. Because that is what restricting the right of assembly means, pushed through the National Assembly in a single day.”

Details of the ban on Budapest Pride and similar events

According to the law, it will be prohibited in future to hold any assembly in Hungary that allegedly violates a child’s right to physical, mental, emotional, and moral development or displays content prohibited by the so-called child protection law.

As any depiction of homosexuality is considered a child protection concern, the government claims the legislation could provide a basis for banning Pride parades. The newly adopted proposal, which adds to the law on assembly, prohibits assemblies that violate the provisions of the Child Protection Act.

It also allows for the punishment not only of those who organise a prohibited assembly but also of those who participate in it. Authorities may use facial recognition technology to identify offenders. If an offender fails to pay the fine within 30 days, it will be collected as a tax, with the proceeds allocated to child protection.

Illegal, but the constitution is also being overhauled The constitutionality of the newly adopted legislation is highly questionable, as the right of assembly, a fundamental right, cannot, in principle, be restricted by an amendment to the law.

However, Fidesz has found a way around this, as an amendment to the 15th Fundamental Law would remove this obstacle by prioritising the protection of children above all other fundamental rights, except the right to life.

Momentum Demonstration at Parliament & Fidesz 'Dumbheads' Reaction

Momentum organised a protest rally at 5 p.m. at Kossuth Square in Budapest against the amendment to the law on assembly, which effectively bans Pride and stipulates that participants will be punished.

Commenting on Momentum’s act, the group leader of ruling Fidesz Máté Kocsis said in a post on Facebook that “the little bolsheviks of today financed from abroad” attempted to bloc the vote by lighting poisonous flares in an indoor space.”

He noted that their lawmaker Gábor Bányai, who had hardly survived Covid, needed emergency medical care after Momentum’s action in the chamber. Kocsis added, “What will come next, you, dumbheads, will you even set fire to the Parliament?”

MTI Stock Photo - for illustrative purposes

Source: dailynewshungary.com
- republished with permission.