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Budapest Pride bashed July 7
by Rex Wockner
2007-07-18

This article shared 3722 times since Wed Jul 18, 2007
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Scene from the Croatian Pride Parade. Photo courtesy Dana Budisavljevic. Smoke bombs and handcuffed anti-gay advocates were very present at Budapest Pride. ILGA-Europe photos

________

Hundreds of skinheads, neo-Nazis and other thugs threw eggs, bottles, smoke bombs, Molotov cocktails and plastic bags of sand at the 2,000 marchers. They also pelted police with beer bottles and physically attacked several marchers.

One truck in the parade reportedly caught fire when a Molotov cocktail landed on it.

The counterdemonstrators shouted, "Faggots into the Danube, followed by the Jews," "Soap factory" and "Filthy faggots."

Dozens more pride attendees reportedly were attacked in the vicinity of the post-parade party at the open-air, riverside Buddha Beach nightclub, the parade's endpoint.

Eight counterdemonstrators were arrested, and police said they continue to search for others.

In a July 10 statement, several Hungarian gay groups called on the national government "to investigate the case instead of covering up why the police did not protect the marchers and why calls for help in the course of the night were refused."

The police "did not step in between the two demonstrations or form a wall," said marcher Gábor Kuszing from Patent - People Against Patriarchy. "Where I was walking, I could see no police officers in sight. If I was not injured it is not because the police were there, but because no counterdemonstrator decided throw a bottle at me."

The post-parade party "was under [ police ] blockade for hours until some of the counterdemonstrators left," said a Patent press release. "The police also left despite reports that groups of counterdemonstrators remained in the parks and streets around the party. ... The police did not patrol in the area and did not react to emergency calls."

Parade opponents included members of Movement for a Better Hungary and the Hungarian National Front, who said they were annoyed that the Hungarian Socialists—part of the ruling government coalition—have come out in support of legalizing same-sex marriage, and that Gábor Szetey, the government's human resources secretary of state, publicly came out July 5 as he opened Budapest's 12th Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Festival of culture and arts.

In his coming-out speech, Szetey, 38, said: "I am Gábor Szetey. I am European and Hungarian. I believe in God, love, freedom and equality. I am the HR secretary of state of the government of the Hungarian Republic. Economist, HR director. Partner, friend, sometimes rival. And gay. Like you. Like hundreds of thousands of people in this country who I hope hear these words. Wow. I did it. I said it out loud.

"And I will say it out loud every time it is needed to be said, so that others may say it. And then gay pride will be what we made it to be. And Hungary, my homeland, will be as much as can be. ... We have to say it out loud -- me, you, all of us. With pride, with power, with faith, with true belief. Or softly, just as one fact of life, happily and peacefully. For me that is what gay pride day is all about. And the other 364 days of the year, every day of every year from now on. ...

"It is not your choice whether you are gay or not, but it is your choice to accept it," Szetey said. "I know already that not accepting who we really are leads to hiding, lying throughout our lives, and to consequences which are hard to predict. I believe in truth and I am sick and tired of lies. ... I believe that we can and we have to break the culture of silence. I have to say out loud who am I, so that finally my own decisions direct my destiny. We have to say it out loud so that we take control of our lives. So that we can be what we are meant to be. ... So that we don't have to live two different lives. One public life and one secret life. So that we don't need to use coded language to talk about the most important things in our lives. About our partners, about our family. So that we can be proud of who we are. Simply, softly, easily. I am gay. And I am happy. And I am proud to be here with you tonight."

The festival opening was attended by Klára Dobrev, wife of the prime minister, Health Minister Ágnes Horváth and Economy Minister János Kóka ( who are engaged to each other ) , Environment Minister Gábor Fodor, government spokesman Dávid Daróczi, and the leader and assistant leader of the parliamentary faction of the Alliance of Free Democrats/Hungarian Liberal Party, Mátyás Eörsi and Péter Gusztos.

Meanwhile, the sixth gay pride parade in Zagreb, Croatia, held the same day, came under similar attack.

Around 40 of the 300 marchers were assaulted in numerous incidents after the parade ended. At least 12 sustained minor injuries and two others required medical treatment.

Some 13 anti-gay demonstrators were arrested, several of whom were found to be carrying Molotov cocktails or tear gas. One of them has been charged with a hate crime for attempting to throw one of the cocktails -- the first hate crime charge in Croatia's history.

The marchers were jeered and spat on by right-wing youths throughout the parade route. A solid line of police in riot gear marched along on both sides of the parade.

In central Ban Jelacic Square, organizers read a proclamation demanding, among other things, the right to full public visibility; official condemnation of all forms of homophobia, discrimination and violence against "LGBTIQ" persons; and the introduction of an anti-homophobia program in educational and other institutions.

Marchers included the head of the Government Office for Gender Equality, Helena Stimac Radin; the ombudswoman for gender equality, Gordana Lukac Koritnik; Croatian People's Party leader Vesna Pusic; and Italian Sen. Gianpaolo Silvestri.

—Assistance: Bill Kelley


This article shared 3722 times since Wed Jul 18, 2007
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