Far-right activists storm LGBT film screening in Budapest
Anti-LGBT activists stormed the event in Budapest
A screening of an LGBT+ anti-bullying film in Budapest was disrupted when the venue was stormed by far-right activists.
The event at the Auróra community centre in the Hungarian capital on September 26 was disrupted by members of the far-right ‘Our Nation’ movement.
According to Budapest Pride, the nationalists “violently pushed into the screening room” with banners displaying the slogans “Stop LGBT propaganda” and “Zero tolerance”.
Budapest Police failed to remove anti-LGBT activists
Police were called to the venue, but Viktória Radványi of Budapest Pride said: “They did not do anything to stop the neo-Nazi group, and were just silently standing by and watching.”
Radványi says police officers failed to intervene as the protesters hurled anti-LGBT+ slurs at the participants, but did intervene when a yogurt was poured over one of the banners being carried by a far-right activist.
A group of far-right activists disrupted the event in Budapest
A public statement from Auróra adds: “We do not want to speculate on the reason for the police’s failure to act, but it is no accident that the authorities failed to take appropriate steps to prevent disruption of an LGBT event.”
Auróra added: “It is very important that we continue to stand up and protect the LGBTQI+ organisations and visitors who work with us, and we will certainly replace the disrupted program.”
The centre had been set to screen a short film about homophobic bullying from the Labrisz Lesbian Association.
The Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a human rights NGO, has filed a complaint over the police’s failure to remove the protesters.
Homophobia is surging.
Budapest Pride said that seven events faced disruption from far-right activists during the city’s Pride celebrations in June.
Pride organisers blamed the country’s far-right president Viktor Orbán for stoking homophobic tensions in the country, having expressed desire to amend the constitution to ban lesbian and gay people from adopting.
The organisation added: “If the government continues its hate-fuelling propaganda, the situation will be much worse… World leaders need to hold Viktor Orbán accountable.”
Right-wing lawmakers stirred anger in the city in August over a Coca-Cola ad campaign featuring same-sex love.
Boldog István, an MP from Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party, vowed to boycott the company over the adverts.
A petition to remove the adverts launched by an anti-LGBT group was signed by more than 41,000 people.
The petition states: “We ask for help in removing the posters as soon as possible to curb the homosexual lobby aimed at children, families and society as a whole.”
