EU urged to 'protect freedom of assembly'

The Pride march in Pécs, Hungary is set to take place tomorrow (4 October) despite a ban.

The Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán has been accused by some MEPs of “wanting to intimidate” the demonstrators with a massive police presence and the use of facial recognition software. 

No one from the Hungarian government was immediately available for comment on the accusations.

But a senior MEP, Terry Reintke, co-chair of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament, stood by the comments.

Reintke will be at the Pride march with several other MEPs at the weekend.

These include Tineke Strik, Parliament Rapporteur on the situation in Hungary, Nicolae Ștefănuță, Parliament Vice President, Kim van Sparrentak, Co-Chair of the LGBTIQ Intergroup and Tilly Metz, Greens/EFA MEP.

Each said they wanted to show their support for the demonstrators.

A press conference is planned in front of Pécs city hall tomorrow (Saturday, 4 October) at 12:30 with Géza Buzás-Hábel, President of the Diverse Youth Network organising Pécs Pride, Reintke, Nicolae Ștefănuță, Tineke Strik and others.

Speaking on Friday, Reintke, who is Co-President of the Greens/EFA group, accused the Hungarian government of “intimidation.”

The deputy said, "Harassment, blackmail and intimidation are Viktor Orbán's political business model.

“The strategy of Putin's friend Viktor Orbán is to blackmail the EU externally, while internally he harasses his own citizens. 

"By denying his people the fundamental right to peaceful assembly, Orbán treats them as second-class EU citizens. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen must do everything legally possible to prevent Orbán from continuing his attack against the freedoms of his own people.

“The LGBTIQ community is taking to the streets in Pécs for the freedom of all people in the EU, and we march by their side. The Hungarian Prime Minister cannot silence a rainbow."

Tineke Strik, EP Rapporteur on the situation in Hungary, commented, “The European Commission, as the guardian of the EU Treaties, must enforce the fundamental democratic freedoms of all European citizens and order the suspension of Hungary's hate law until the European Court of Justice has issued its ruling. 

"The Council must be strong on article 7 to ensure to hold Hungary into account in this ongoing battle on fundamental rights and freedoms and the rule of law.“

In a letter to Ursula von der Leyen Reintke and Bas Eickhout, together with the leaders of S&D, Renew and The Left, call on the EC president “to protect freedom of assembly and to consider legal action against the Hungarian government for banning the Pride march”.

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