AssetID: 55423427
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Budapest Mayor Fined Over Role in Banned Pride March
Caption: Budapest Mayor Fined Over Role in Banned Pride March. Hungarian prosecutors have brought charges against Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony for organizing a Pride march last June, despite authorities formally banning the event. The case is linked to Hungary’s controversial 2021 “Child Protection Act,” which restricts public depictions of homosexuality and gender transition for minors and has drawn strong international criticism. In March, Hungary’s parliament tightened the law further with an amendment effectively banning Pride marches and similar public assemblies. Prosecutors confirmed Karácsony will face a financial fine rather than a court trial, accusing him of violating rules on freedom of assembly. The indictment cites a video message in which Karácsony announced the city would organize the rally and encouraged people to attend. Karácsony pushed back, saying authorities are avoiding a trial because they do not want to publicly defend the ban on what he called “the largest freedom march of recent decades.” Despite the ban, the Budapest Pride rally went ahead in June, drawing more than 100,000 participants, including several European politicians. A vocal critic of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Karácsony has framed the case as part of a broader crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights and democratic freedoms in Hungary. Instructions: THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT
Keywords: Current Affairs & Politics,Budapest,Gergely Karácsony,Hungary,Pride march,LGBTQ+ rights,Child Protection Act,Viktor Orbán,freedom of assembly
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