Budapest Gay Pride March repeatedly disrupted by far-right protesters

[Marcus Marulus]

Budapest Gay Pride March repeatedly disrupted by far-right protesters

By: All Hungary News

2008-07-06 21:24

Living up to most people's fears, Saturday's Gay Pride March in Budapest saw repeated scenes of violence, as far-right protesters threw eggs at the marchers and rocks at the police, writes index.hu

Even before the march left Erzsébet tér to make its way up Andrássy út toward 56-osok tere in the city park, police were forced to clear the Oktogon of far-right elements via the use of teargas. Chants against the prime minister could also be heard among the anti-gay slogans coming from the protestors.

Fifty-eight people were arrested in total, including six men who were discovered in an uninhabited apartment overlooking Andrássy út and were found to be in possession of Molotov cocktails and bottles containing an unknown substance believed to be acid, although testing on the liquids has not been performed yet.

Five hundred protesters jeered the 1000-1500 pride marchers when they arrived at Liszt Ferenc tér. After being cleared from this area, the protesters met with police again at Hősök tere, where they threw Molotov cocktails. Eight officers were injured in the incident, and thirteen police cars were damaged during the course of the day.

Plans for a concert at 56-osok tere were cancelled after the protestors chased away the scheduled performers, and police ended up having to escort the marchers back to metro line 1, so that the marchers could get away from the protestors and dissipate in the central parts of Budapest.

A police car carrying openly gay former state secretary Gábor Szetey and MEP Katalin Lévai was attacked, as was Free Democrat politician Gábor Horn, although none were injured. In total, eight police officers and six civilians had to be taken to a hospital due to injuries, and ten to fifteen were treated at the scene.

[source]