Another right of assembly protest in Hungary, shouting “Fascist Orbán, get out!” – VIDEO

The government “has banned Pride and banned future anti-government protests”, independent lawmaker Ákos Hadházy told protesters gathered on Budapest’s Elisabeth Bridge to demand the repeal of a recent amendment to the law on the right of assembly on Tuesday.

“But the government has realised that no matter what it bans, it doesn’t have enough police officers,” Hadházy said, insisting that “techno-fascist legislation modelled after those of Putin and China has been drafted, allowing for facial recognition systems to be used against opposition sympathisers, which in Europe could only be used against serious criminals and terrorists”.

“We are here because we know that this … was started to ensure that fewer people will protest against future laws,” he said. “There’s only one path: forward. The only solution is to protest, to make demands and a refusal to stop,” he said, announcing another demonstration for next Tuesday. “The sooner a critical mass is reached, the sooner the demonstrations will end,” Hadházy said.

Former central bank governor Péter Ákos Bod said in a video message played at the demonstration that “the government’s attempt to turn Hungarians against each other … serves as a distraction from the consequences of their poor governance”.

Dorottya Rédai, a staff member at the Labrisz Lesbian Association, said “the government’s homophobia and transphobia make the lives of 500,000 to 1 million people miserable”, adding that under the new constitutional amendment, “100,000 transgender and 50,000 intersex people will cease to exist legally”.

Actor Tamás Lengyel urged Hungarians to vote the government out next year “so that we can rebuild solidarity and live in a more united Hungary”.

Catholic theologian Rita Perintfalvi said the protest was not just about Pride, “but about us, as together we say no to the deprivation of rights, because the right of assembly is a fundamental right of which no one can ever deprive us”.

MTI’s on-site correspondent reported that protesters started going from Elisabeth Bridge towards Liberty, Petőfi and Margaret bridges after the speeches. The metropolitan police (BRFK) said demonstrators had unlawfully blocked off Elisabeth Bridge and obstructed traffic on others.

BRFK said in a statement that after 7 p.m., several protesters made their way to Liberty Bridge, blocking it in its entirety. The group added that traffic had been diverted in the interest of safety. Traffic has also been diverted from the Petőfi Bridge after another group blocked it around 7:50 p.m.