BUDAPEST, June 13, 2008  –  The chief of Budapest police has today reversed his decision earlier this week to ban the city’s Gay Pride march next month.

The new decision by Dr. Gábor Tóth approves of the march and its route as originally suggested by organisers.

A meeting between the Pride organisers and police was due to be held this afternoon to renegotiate the march, but this was not required following the publication this morning of the new decision by Dr. Tóth.

Pride organisers Patent said this afternoon that it is grateful to all individuals and organisations who contributed to this outcome.

“We hope the police have understood that it is their job to protect the march from attacks, and not to try to avoid the attacks by banning the march,” said Gábor Kuszing of Patent Association.

“We hope that they have learned from last year’s serious attacks and will appear in adequate numbers to protect us.”

Last year’s LGBT march saw unprecedented attacks from right-wing groups with the police failing to perform important protective measures.

The original ban, revealed late on Wednesday evening by Patent Association, caused a furore, especially in Brussels where MEPs criticised the ban imposed by the police because the march would have created traffic problems in the city centre.

Hungarian MEP Katalin Lévai (PSE), a former minister for equal opportunities, described the ban as “unacceptable” and “a significant minority in Hungary must not be denied a chance to present itself”.

SEE ALSO

European Fury at Gay Pride March Ban.  There has been anger today in the European Parliament over the ban on Budapest Gay Pride by the city’s police chief Dr. Gábor Tóth for traffic congestion reasons.  (UK Gay News, June 12, 2008)

Police Chief Bans Budapest Gay Pride.  Budapest police chief Dr. Gábor Tóth has banned the Gay Pride March, it emerged last night.  The march, which Dr. Tóth said would disrupt traffic in the city, was scheduled to take place on Saturday July 5 on Andrássy, one of Budapest’s main streets.  (UK Gay News, June 12, 2008)

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