July 10, 2008
Hungarian Court: OK to Pelt Gays with Eggs; Rocks, Bottles, Firebombs, Not So Much
The MTI Bulletin reports that the Central Court of Budapest fined four people for attacking gay pride marchers — and the police trying to protect them — while acquitting three others, ruling that “throwing eggs was within the scope of freedom of expression.”
Some 1,500 marchers were pelted by rocks, bottles and eggs, thrown in from outside a metal barrier flanking the length of Andrassy Boulevard, the pride event’s venue. A few hundred anti-gay protesters clashed with police, throwing firebombs and cobblestones at them, injuring 12. They also set fire to a police minibus and wrecked two patrol cars.
The court did fine some egg-throwers — but only the ones who refused to stop throwing eggs after police told them to stop.
The fines ranged from 20,000 and 66,000 forints ($136 to $451).
A total of 57 people were arrested in the anti-gay violence at Saturday’s parade, but we don’t yet know what the court is doing with the rest of them.
Oh, and the three attackers who were acquitted? The court let them off the hook because they pleaded not guilty, claiming they didn’t know they were breaking the law. (Gee, what a great place Hungary must be for career criminals! “Sorry, Judge — I didn’t know robbing banks was against the law!”)
Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany is calling for an anti-violence rally in September in response to the anti-gay attacks — and, incredibly, the opposition party (called, ironically, the “Free Democrats”) is condemning the move, because — get this — “it disputes the event’s independence from party politics.”
The problem the oppos have is with Gyurcsany’s announcement that he “plans to launch a new body — ‘the Hungarian Charter’ — in the wake of far right violence against the Gay Parade.”
In other words, the oppos are saying Gyurcsany is coming out against anti-gay violence for political reasons. We say the oppos are missing an excellent opportunity to transcend partisan politics in a demonstration of solidarity against anti-gay violence.
Hell, if George W. Bush called for Republicans to rally against anti-gay violence, I’d march with them.
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Filed Under: Europe, Hate Crimes
