Around 100,000 march in Budapest Pride event in defiance of Hungary’s ban : NPR

BUDAPEST, Hungary — Approximately 100,000 individuals challenged a government prohibition and police directives on Saturday to participate in what organizers described as the most extensive LGBTQ+ Pride event in Hungary’s history, openly defying Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s administration.

Participants took a risk of potential police intervention and hefty fines to join the 30th annual Budapest Pride, which was deemed illegal by a law passed by Orbán’s right-wing populist party in March.

The march kicked off at Budapest City Hall and meandered through the city center before crossing the Erzsébet Bridge over the Danube River. Police redirected the crowd from its intended path to separate it from a small faction of far-right counterprotesters, while members of Hungary’s LGBTQ+ community and numerous supporters danced to music and waved rainbow and anti-government flags.

The significant turnout at the march, which the government had insisted for months would not be allowed in Hungary, was viewed as a substantial blow to Orbán’s reputation, as the longest-serving leader in the European Union’s popularity declines in polls where a new opposition force has taken the lead.

Some participants expressed that the march was not only about upholding the basic rights of sexual minorities but also addressed what they perceive as a growing crackdown on democratic processes under Orbán’s governance.

Orbán and his party have maintained that Pride, a celebration of LGBTQ+ visibility and the fight for equal rights, violated children’s rights to moral and spiritual development — rights that a recent constitutional amendment declared took precedence over other fundamental rights, including the right to peaceful assembly.

The law rushed through parliament in March made it a crime to organize or attend events that “represent or promote” homosexuality to individuals under 18 years old. Orbán had previously made it clear that Budapest Pride was the specific target of the law.

Authorities deployed additional cameras throughout the city center before the march and were expected to utilize facial recognition technology to identify individuals participating in the banned event. According to the new law, being caught attending Pride could lead to fines of up to 200,000 Hungarian forints ($586).

The ban marked the latest crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights by Orbán’s administration, which had already effectively prohibited both same-sex adoption and marriage and prevented transgender individuals from changing their gender on official documents.

Police denied several requests from organizers in recent weeks to register the Pride march, citing the new law. However, Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony stood with organizers and declared that it would proceed as a separate municipal event — something he stated did not require police authorization.

Nevertheless, Hungary’s government stood firm, asserting that holding the Pride march, even if sponsored by the city, would be illegal. Hungary’s justice minister warned Karácsony this week that organizing Pride or encouraging attendance could result in up to a year of imprisonment.

Over 70 members of the European Parliament, as well as officials from various European countries, took part in Saturday’s march. Hadja Lahbib, the EU’s commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis management, previously stated that “all eyes are on Budapest” as Pride participants defy the government’s ban.