100,000 March in Budapest Pride, Defying Hungarian Government Ban
100,000 March in Budapest Pride, Defying Hungarian Government Ban
An estimated 100,000 individuals took to the streets of Budapest on Saturday, openly defying a government ban and police directives to participate in what organizers hailed as the largest LGBTQ+ Pride event in Hungary’s history. This massive demonstration served as a direct challenge to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government and its increasingly restrictive policies.
Participants risked potential police intervention and significant fines to join the 30th annual Budapest Pride, which had been outlawed by legislation passed in March by Orbán’s right-wing populist governing party. The contentious law made it an offense to hold or attend events that ‘depict or promote’ homosexuality to minors under 18, with Orbán explicitly targeting Budapest Pride.
The march, starting at Budapest City Hall and winding through the city center, highlighted widespread defiance. Despite police attempts to divert the crowd from its planned route to separate it from counter-protesters, members of Hungary’s LGBTQ+ community and a large number of supporters danced and waved rainbow and anti-government flags. The sheer scale of the march is perceived as a significant blow to Orbán’s standing, especially as his popularity wanes amidst a new opposition force gaining traction.
Beyond LGBTQ+ rights, some participants viewed the march as a broader protest against what they describe as an accelerating crackdown on democratic processes under Orbán’s leadership. The ban is the latest in a series of measures targeting LGBTQ+ rights, following effective bans on same-sex adoption, same-sex marriage, and restrictions on transgender individuals changing official documents. International attention was high, with over 70 members of the European Parliament and other European officials joining the demonstration, underscoring the global scrutiny on Hungary’s human rights record.
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