Rainbow flags outnumbered German flags when soccer fans arrived for a European Championship game in Munich on Wednesday.
Supporters were met at the exit of the Fr├╢ttmaning subway station by a host of volunteers from groups including Amnesty International, CSD Germany and SтАЩAG Munich distributing rainbow flags to people attending Germany’s final Euro 2020 group game against Hungary.
Other demonstrators simply turned up to protest UEFAтАЩs decision to decline the Munich city councilтАЩs application to illuminate the stadium in rainbow colors as a protest against what it called HungaryтАЩs тАЬhomophobic and transphobic legislation.тАЭ
UEFA said it had to reject the request because of its political context as a criticism of Hungary. The city referred to a law passed by Hungarian lawmakers last week that made it harder for youths under-18 to access LGBT information by making it illegal to share.
тАЬWeтАЩre here to protest the oppressive laws of Hungary against members of the LGBTQ community,тАЭ demonstrator Julian Krusenberg told The Associated Press.
Hungary fans appeared bemused by the reception and few, if any, stopped to accept flags.
Drag queen Zoey Rachel Pride said she was outside the stadium to demonstrate for human rights.
тАЬHuman rights are for all people, regardless of whether you are homosexual, bisexual, transsexual or anything else,тАЭ Pride told the AP. тАЬThere are gays, lesbians, bi, trans, inter, queer and so on and so forth. And thatтАЩs why we always have to stand up for our rights. ThatтАЩs why IтАЩm here today to stand up for our rights, for the people in Hungary who canтАЩt lead a life as well as we can.тАЭ
Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter had described UEFAтАЩs decision not to allow the rainbow-illuminated stadium as тАЬshamefulтАЭ and said the city тАЬwonтАЩt let ourselves be discouraged from sending a clear signal to Hungary and the world.тАЭ
Rainbow flags were flying from MunichтАЩs spectacular neo-gothic city hall, and there were plans to have a wind turbine near the stadium and the cityтАЩs Olympic Tower illuminated in rainbow colors, too.
Many Hungarians were unimpressed.
тАЬPolitics doesnтАЩt have anything to do with sport,тАЭ Hungary fan Csaba T├╢r├дk said. тАЬDonтАЩt mix the two.тАЭ
One young Hungary supporter, attending the game with his father, said he could see both sides of the argument.
тАЬLike one (side) saying that politics and football shouldnтАЩt be united on the field. And I think thatтАЩs a good point,” Mate Melykuti said. “But itтАЩs a good point that itтАЩs a human right to be what you are. And I can understand that side, too.тАЭ
This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.
