Budapest police are preparing for organised attacks by Hungary’s far right during the upcoming gay pride parade. Far-right leaders Gyorgy Budahazy and Laszlo Toroczkai have published a statement on the internet, inviting “Hungarian patriots” to travel to Budapest on July 5 to “protect Hungary’s honour” from the international gay community.



    Police are reluctant to say how many far-right protesters they are expecting to disrupt the event and decline to give any details of police preparations for security reasons.

    But police are expecting harsher and more frequent attacks than during last year’s gay pride march when a dozen people, including a German citizen, were beaten in various parts of the city by skinheads and eight attackers were arrested, said the paper.

    Only one anti-gay demonstration has been officially registered. Rendszervalto Forum, a far-right group, will follow up the gay pride parade by marching the same route after the event.

    On June 11, the Budapest police chief published an online statement banning this year’s gay pride event, claiming that it would obstruct main traffic arteries in central Budapest. Following protests by numerous civil organisations, the Budapest mayor and liberal politicians, he withdrew the ban the following day.

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