Hungarian lawmakers passed a bill seeking to ban the annual Pride march today, drawing criticism from opponents who see it as another move to restrict LGBTQ rights in the country
The bill allows authorities to use facial recognition software to identify attendees, continuing a crackdown by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's right-wing populist party on the country's LBGTQ+ community
The lawmakers also imposed fines on organisers and people attending the event which Budapest has held for about thirty years
The measure passed in a 136-27 vote. The law, supported by Orban's Fidesz party and their minority coalition partner the Christian Democrats, was pushed through parliament in an accelerated procedure after being submitted only a day earlier, according to the AP
As per Hungary’s law its an offense to hold or attend events that violate Hungary’s contentious “child protection” legislation, which prohibits the “depiction or promotion” of homosexuality to minors
Attending a prohibited event will carry fines up to 200,000 Hungarian forints (USD 546), which the state would forward to 'child protection,' according to the text of the law, reported AP
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