Hungary · Budapest
A spontaneous protest and the limits of advance notice
Police dispersed a gathering outside the Hotel Kempinski during a diplomatic reception in December 2002.
Timeline
- 1 December 2002: Police disperse the gathering outside the Hotel Kempinski after a loud noise.
- 2003: The district court dismisses the applicants’ challenge.
- 2007: The European court finds the dispersal disproportionate.
What the court documented
The applicants gathered after learning that the Hungarian prime minister would attend the reception. They had given no advance notice. After a loud noise, police ordered the gathering to disperse and moved people toward a nearby park.
What the court decided
The European Court of Human Rights found a violation of Article 11. It held that in the circumstances of a peaceful, spontaneous response to a political event, dispersal solely for lack of notice was disproportionate. European Court of Human Rights · Bukta and Others v. Hungary