Euro-2021: activist waves rainbow flag during Hungarian anthem

Published on : 06/23/2021 – 9:42 PM

Spectators at the Munich stadium responded to UEFA. In the aftermath of the ban by the European football body on the Bavarian city of lighting its stadium in rainbow colors for the Euro Germany-Hungary match, many people attended the match, Wednesday June 23, with accessories in support of the LGBT community.

While some spectators wore rainbow-colored masks, a man ran across the field waving a large rainbow flag during the Hungarian anthem, before being overpowered. The young man arrived behind the backs of both teams and ran past the players, lined up to listen to the hymns. He was tackled to the ground and evacuated.

The organizers of the Munich Pride March, associated with Amnesty International, had planned to distribute 11,000 flags to spectators (only 14,000 seats are occupied, due to restrictions due to Covid-19).

This action takes place in a sensitive politico-sporting context. UEFA, organizer of the Euro, caused an uproar in Germany and Europe by refusing that the Munich stadium, where this Euro match takes place, is illuminated in rainbow colors following the adoption of legislation in Hungary deemed homophobic. The body invoked its obligation of political neutrality.

“By its statutes, UEFA is a politically and religiously neutral organization,” the European confederation said in a statement on Tuesday. “Given the political context of this request – a message aimed at a decision taken by the Hungarian national parliament – UEFA must refuse this request,” she added.

In essence: UEFA claims to fully share the values ​​of tolerance promoted by this initiative, but as a “politically and religiously neutral organization”, it cannot accept to convey a message aimed specifically at a country or a government.

To demonstrate its good faith, the European body proposed to illuminate the stadium in rainbow colors either on June 28 or early July, to coincide with events related to the Pride March in Munich.

“Send a clear signal to Hungary and to the world”

But this negative response was not to the liking of LGBT rights defenders. In response, the Munich municipality has decorated several buildings in the city in rainbow colors after UEFA’s “shameful” decision to ban lighting at its stadium. “We in Munich will in no way be prevented from sending a clear signal to Hungary and to the world” about discrimination against homosexuals, Mayor Dieter Reiter told reporters, announcing that the Town hall, or a tower and a wind turbine located near the Allianz Arena stadium would be decorated with rainbow flags.

Save Hungary

Hungarian law provides that “pornography and content that depicts sexuality or promotes gender identity deviation, sex reassignment and homosexuality must not be accessible to those under the age of 18”.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto rejected European criticism and denounced “fake news”. He claimed that this law “was not directed against any community in Hungary (but) only against pedophiles”. “This law does not say anything about the sexual orientation of adults. It only says that as long as children are under the age of 18, their sex education is exclusively the responsibility of their parents, that is all,” he said, adding that the vote in the Hungarian Parliament was “a national competence which should not be called into question”.

The minister praised the “common sense” of the leaders of European football who refused the illumination of the Munich stadium. This “would have been a political provocation towards Hungary,” he said.

But the reason is perhaps more pragmatic, as Luc André, correspondent of France 24 in Berlin underlines: “UEFA obviously seeks to spare it in defiance of the values ​​displayed in the communication campaigns. Due to health restrictions, the ‘UEFA could indeed move the final of the Euro from London to Budapest and it needs the support of Viktor Orban for that “.

For now, the final is to be held at Wembley Stadium. UEFA have said they have no plans to replace him with another venue, but the pressure is mounting. The President of the Italian Council, Mario Draghi, has asked that this match not be played in England due to the increase in the number of cases of contaminations linked to the Delta variant, which appeared for the first time in India. “Our health is a priority. The spread of the Delta variant does not allow the 40,000 spectators to attend the final in the London stadium,” Peter Liese, in charge of health issues within the Party, also said in a statement on Tuesday. Popular European (PPE), first group in the European Parliament.

With AFP and Reuters