A "mini-pride" march organised by Amnesty International took place in Brussels on Wednesday morning in response to the ban on the thirtieth edition of Budapest Pride.
Amnesty International, which denounces the violation of several fundamental rights, is urging the Hungarian authorities to authorise the Pride March, originally scheduled for Saturday in Budapest.
The procession set off from the European Parliament at around 10:30 before heading to the Permanent Representation of Hungary to the European Union.
Yvan Verougstraete, president of Les Engagés, and MEP Marc Angel were present.
The action is part of the international "Let Pride March" campaign launched by the NGO.
This initiative follows the adoption of a Hungarian law banning Pride marches, passed on 18 March. The law also authorises the Hungarian government to use facial recognition to target participants.
Carine Thibaut, director of the French-speaking Belgian section of Amnesty International, calls on the Hungarian authorities to understand that they cannot "violate the rights of LGBTQIA+ people and, more generally, fundamental freedoms, such as freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, with impunity."
It is their duty to authorise and facilitate this peaceful demonstration, "which must be able to take place without intimidation, harassment, or violence," Thibaut continued.
Meanwhile, a petition with more than 100,000 signatures worldwide (including some 16,000 in Belgium) was delivered to the Budapest police chief on Wednesday by an Amnesty International delegation in the Hungarian capital.
Last week, Hungarian police confirmed the ban on the Pride March, three days after the city of Budapest's decision to take over the organisation in an attempt to circumvent the recent law. Despite this announcement, Budapest City Hall immediately announced that it would continue with the event, defying the police.
