{"id":380,"date":"2022-09-14T18:09:40","date_gmt":"2022-09-14T16:09:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/4h4n9.ahang.hu\/en\/?p=380"},"modified":"2022-09-14T18:10:14","modified_gmt":"2022-09-14T16:10:14","slug":"nearly-200000-of-us-have-protested-against-the-august-20-fireworks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/4h4n9.ahang.hu\/en\/campaigns\/nearly-200000-of-us-have-protested-against-the-august-20-fireworks\/2022\/09\/14\/","title":{"rendered":"Nearly 200,000 of Us Have Protested Against the August 20 Fireworks"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Worthy commemorations of our holidays and shared experiences related to them are necessary – this is something we have never disputed. However, it is possible to do so in a different, smarter, more environmentally friendly and humane way.<\/p>\n

This is the third year we have protested against the government spending billions of forints from our money on fireworks.<\/b> On July 18, 2020, we celebrated together that the government had refrained from using fireworks that pollute the environment and endanger animals – meeting the demands of the 130,000 people who protested on SzabadaHang by signing the related petition. Together with animal rights organizations, we also set an example<\/b><\/a> of a wallet- and animal-friendly celebration: visitors to Szabads\u00e1g Square in Budapest could enjoy a fire dance show and light painting.<\/p>\n

This year, we started protesting again, and this campaign reached a milestone on August 27th.<\/b> At the beginning of July, a petition<\/b><\/a> was launched on the SzabadaHang website, in which we asked the government not to organize Europe’s largest fireworks display in the current economic situation. Already in the days following the launch of the petition, tens of thousands of people signed our demands and agreed that instead of such entertainment that tortures the environment and animals, there are alternative ways to commemorate the founding of the Hungarian state with pride and dignity, and it does not cost billions of forints.<\/b><\/p>\n

It is incomprehensible why, with food prices rising, inflation increasing day by day, the forint depreciating and another economic, energy and social crisis looming, the government should decide to spend unprecedented amounts of money in a single day. During the campaign we organized several actions to make decision-makers see reason<\/b> and, together with hundreds of thousands of signatories, convince them that a responsible government does not spend taxpayers’ money on fireworks in this kind of situation.<\/p>\n

First, we took a walk on Margaret Island to ask passers-by what they thought about the government blowing billions of forints in a matter of thirty minutes. The consensus was that August 20 and the founding of the state are important, but in the current economic climate, the cost of fireworks should be spent on more important matters.<\/p>\n