Organisers of Monday anti-lockdown protest fined HUF 4.5 million

Citing the government decree codifying the rules of the state of emergency issued in November, police said in a statement on Friday that Hungary’s coronavirus restrictions prohibit public gatherings.

Under the rules, those who took part in the protest face a fine of up to 150,000 forints, the statement noted. Repeat offenders may be fined up to 200,000 forints, while those charged with a misdemeanor can be fined up to 500,000 forints.

Police said it was “not only irresponsible” to organise gatherings as coronavirus cases and deaths are surging in the country, but it also put lives at risk.

According to press reports, the radical nationalist Mi Hazank party and Gyorgy Godeny, an outspoken coronavirus denier activist, had both organised unauthorised anti-lockdown protests on Monday, March 15, a national holiday.

The Budapest Police Headquarters (BRFK) said on Monday that the authorities took action against more than 300 people for attending the event and violating mask-wearing rules. Police filed reports against two people for endangering the public and launched proceedings against 4 for organising and staging unauthorised public gatherings.