07/07/2008
Marchers Defiant as Nationalists Attack Budapest Gay Pride March
At least 49 arrests were made and 10 people injured on Saturday during a gay pride march in Budapest, Hungary as nationalists and neo-Nazis attacked marchers and riot police who had assembled to quell the anticipated violence.
According to the Budapest Times, "Far right activists had been called to arms weeks in advance via extremist websites, and a massive police presence was in place to keep the expected angry protesters away from the gay marchers. Two-metre-high metal barricades had been erected along both sides of Andrassy út to keep agitators out of the path of the parade. The participants in the parade - well over a thousand members of gay, lesbian and transsexual groups, as well as sympathisers - were fully expecting the attacks. They wore plastic raincoats and carried multi-coloured umbrellas as eggs, tomatoes and other missiles rained down on them. Rioters turned on the police at a number of locations. Shortly after 4pm, the police had to disperse gangs armed with groceries, bottles and stones as they attempted to intercept the gay marchers at Oktogon. A police van was set ablaze in the melée, and tear gas and water cannon were used to clear the way for the parade. Cordons were set up to prevent people from approaching Andrássy út from side streets."
Bloomberg reports: "Parade-goers carried rainbow-colored umbrellas and signs carrying slogans such as 'Jesus taught us to love. Why do you hate?' The truck at the head of the parade carried two men who acted out a mock marriage with a female officiant. Their black suits became caked with egg yolks as the parade progressed. Gabor Szetey, a former state secretary in Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany's cabinet who announced he was gay one year ago, said Gay Pride Day was no different from Hungarian Pride Day in an address to parade participants. 'Hungary, which is a European democracy, must accept people who are different,' he said. 'We can't choose whether we are gay, Roma or Jewish, but we can control our own destinies.'
A video report from the BBC, AFTER THE JUMP...
Posted 7:50 AM EST by Andy Towle in Budapest, Gay Pride, Hungary, News | Permalink
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I'm totally shocked. I was just there a month ago for the best two-week vacation of my whole life. Don't let this news put you off from a visit. The men there are some of the most welcoming and beautiful in ALL THE WORLD. The good thing from all this is the police did an excellent job protecting the participants.
It seems the right will always look for scapegoats. The US is no different. Just watch the GOP demonize gays in this coming election.
Posted by: Winston | Jul 7, 2008 9:14:26 AM
While these acts of violence are disgusting, this article still makes me happy. That area of central/eastern Europe isn't generally known for being a safe and accepting place for the sexual minority community. The police and government in this situation should be commended for ensuring fair and equal rights for all.
Good job!
Posted by: Taylor | Jul 7, 2008 10:04:51 AM
Why would anyone be shocked? I wish people would get their heads out of their asses and read the news! Homophobia has not gone away. How many gays have been killed or the victims of hate crimes in the U.S. in the last few years?
The same kind of "I'm shocked" comments keep coming up. Why? Every other week there is a report of anti-gay activity throughout the world.
The facts are that anti-gay forces are everywhere. The U.S.? Yep. U.K.? Yep. Jamaica? Yep? Hungary? Yep.
The worst anti-gay violence in Europe comes a lot from former East Bloc nations like Hungary, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Poland, etc. Most of these countries had terrible histories of Antisemitism and racism against the Roma.
Attacking a newly visible gay minority is par for the course in many of the new democracies as a way for the Right to draw in support. The Right wraps itself in the flag, patriotism, and religion. Sound familiar?
This is happening in Russia on a level ten times that which is happening in Hungary. Read the reports of how Yeltsin has aligned himself with the Orthodox Church and allowed the growth of nationalistic thugs who murder children or happily create videos of kidnapped immigrants being beheaded.
This is not that different than the way the GOP attacked African-Americans for 40 years and is now going after gays. Yeah, the GOP didn't sanction violence, but hate used to divide and conquer? Yes.
Unfortunately, a lot of gay Americans cannot make the mental connection that their rights are just one appointment to the Supreme Court from being revoked. Look at the idiots who are happily embracing McCain even though he has a terrible record on gay rights.
Think I'm exaggerating? Look at the comments from Fred Barnes of the Weekly Standard. Barnes is a "mainstream" Republican commentator who giddily encourages McCain to use homophobia to win the election just like Bush used in 2004.
Posted by: noah | Jul 7, 2008 10:06:54 AM
The comparison to the GOP is somewhat apt, though obviously they're more violent. Basically, the right wing thugs are looking for a way to increase their visibility. They'll demonstrate at the drop of a hat and have regular confrontations with the police.
Most of the footage on youtube (it comes up with the first video) was put there by the neo-nazis, who apparently think it makes them look good, rather than just doltish.
Posted by: Kevinvt | Jul 7, 2008 10:14:12 AM
Noah, I think you mean Putin (and now Medvedev). Yeltsin was Orthodox too, but the church has gained a lot more power and confidence recently.
The difference is that these groups both in Russia and in Hungary are really neo-Nazis. We don't really have openly violent gangs like that these days in the US, they just don't get the kind of traction they do in Europe, particularly the more economically unstable Eastern parts of it.
Hungary had a home-grown fascist movement during WWII, the Arrow-Cross, and these groups revive that tradition and use their symbols.
The Russian situation is more ironic, since there was obviously no fascist movement there at the time. One branch of the LGBT movement uses anti-fascism, which is still respectable, to push gay visibility. There was a peaceful anti-fascist protest yesterday in central Moscow:
http://www.gay.ru/news/rainbow/2008/07/07-13406.htm
They held rainbow flags and had anti-homophobic flyers saying "homophobia is fascism."
Posted by: Kevinvt | Jul 7, 2008 10:29:08 AM
Slightly OT, but it's just so sad that every time Russia and the Russians have an oppt'y to progress, they revert to authoritarianism. From the Tsar to Stalin, from Gorbachëv to Putin. Of course, Dubya and Dick are no better than Putin and his henchmen.
Posted by: David R. | Jul 7, 2008 1:18:39 PM
Thank you Andy for your vigilance in bringing coverage of the international and even American violence done to our community.
Posted by: MCnNYC | Jul 7, 2008 2:36:41 PM
Republicans and the GOP in this country are no different or better, in my opinion, than the Nazi's were in Adolf's time, and will do the same to us if given the chance.
Posted by: Chad | Jul 8, 2008 12:50:03 AM