Catalonia protests against Hungary's ban on LGBT Pride events

More than fifty people have gathered this Saturday in Barcelona to protest against Hungary's ban on Pride events and LGTBQI+ demonstrations.

The protest gathered in front of the Hungarian consulate in the Catalan capital, and comes after the Hungarian parliament approved a proposal from Orbán's party this week that denies the LGBTQI+ community the right to assemble.

The demonstration was organized by the LGTBIcat Platform and Pride BCN. They say the ban represents "a serious setback on the rights and freedoms" of the community.

They called the situation "alarming" and demand a "strong" response from the European Union. They pointed out that Pride is not "a celebration" but "an expression of resistance and protest."

The Hungarian parliament approved by 136 votes to 27 a proposal by the Prime Minister's party, Fidesz, to amend the law on the right to assembly to "prohibit assemblies that violate the prohibitions provided for in child protection laws" on Tuesday.

The law provides for fines and the use of facial recognition technologies to identify participants in such gatherings.

The day after the vote, the European Commission publicly defended the right to demonstration. "Our Union is about freedom and equality. Everyone should be able to be who they are, live and love freely," Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner for Equality and Crisis Preparedness, said.