Organisers postpone Paris Pride March over heat

Organisers of the Pride March due to take place in Paris this weekend postponed the event on Friday, after police ordered them to change the date to relieve pressure on emergency services during the heatwave.

Anouk Veyret, co-president of the Inter-LGBT association, said the march had been "postponed" and organisers were thinking of rescheduling to September.

Paris police had said they would ban the event for LGBTQ rights on Saturday afternoon if organisers did not comply.

In Hungary, where the Budapest Pride March was banned last year under former Prime Minister Viktor Orban, organisers said the event would go ahead on Saturday but said vulnerable people should stay away as the highest heat alert had been issued.

Paris police have also ordered the organisers of a music event called Solidays to re-schedule.

The force said several hundred thousand people going to such events would "create a high risk of excessive strain on a healthcare system already stretched to its limits".

The Pride March in the French city of Lyon was also cancelled earlier on Friday.

"The weather conditions and the week of heatwave preceding it have not permitted us to ensure the proper organisation of the event," organisers said.

Many amateur sports events have also already been cancelled in France and Sunday's Diamond League athletics meeting at Charlety in Paris is under threat.

Saturday evening's Top 14 rugby final is due to go ahead although measures, such as stopping the sale of alcohol at the Stade de France and increased numbers of water outlets, have been introduced to keep fans hydrated.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has called on people to stop their sporting activity during the heatwave.

"Too many people continue, in particular, to engage in physical activity despite the temperatures and the warnings," he posted on X.

"Putting yourself in danger like this means adding avoidable pressure on emergency responders, emergency rooms, and intensive care units."

Budapest Pride organisers said the event would go ahead despite forecasts of temperatures near 40C.

"If you are elderly, suffer from a chronic illness, or believe that extreme heat could pose a risk to you, we invite you to support us from home this year," they wrote on Facebook.

The urged "everyone to act responsibly and ensure their own safety and that of others".

The march is seen as a rallying cry for LGBTQ rights after last year's ban prompted record attendance.

Police told AFP in May that they had "no grounds" to prohibit Budapest Pride.