Around 100,000 march in Budapest Pride event in defiance of Hungary's ban
Marchers gambled with potential police intervention and heavy fines to participate in the 30th annual Budapest Pride, which was outlawed in March by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's right-wing populist governing party
In a bold defiance of government prohibition and police orders, approximately 100,000 individuals participated in what organizers are calling the largest LGBTQ+ Pride event in Hungary's history on Saturday, openly challenging Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's administration.
Despite the risk of police intervention and hefty fines, participants took part in the 30th annual Budapest Pride, which was banned in March by Orbán's right-wing populist governing party.
The march kicked off at Budapest City Hall, weaving through the city center before crossing the capital's Erzsébet Bridge over the Danube River. To keep them separate from a small group of far-right counterprotesters, police redirected the crowd from its planned route, while members of Hungary's LGBTQ+ community and throngs of supporters danced to music and waved rainbow and anti-government flags.
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Blanka Molnár, one of the marchers, expressed that it was "a fantastic feeling" to see more people attending the Pride march than ever before, despite its ban. She emphasized that it was becoming "increasingly important" for Hungarians, "even those who have never been to Pride before," to resist the government's policies.
"This isn't just about LGBQT+ rights, it's also about the right to assemble and about standing up for each other and not allowing (the government) to oppress us," she stated.
The Hungarian government's ban on Pride marches was dealt a significant blow as thousands took to the streets in defiance, marking a setback for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán whose popularity is waning in the polls.
Orbán and his party have long argued that Pride, a celebration of LGBTQ+ visibility and fight for equal rights, infringes upon children's rights to moral and spiritual development - rights they claim supersede other fundamental protections, including the right to peaceful assembly.
A law rushed through parliament in March criminalizes the organization or attendance of events that "depict or promote" homosexuality to those under 18. It was clear from the outset that Budapest Pride was the explicit target of this legislation.
In anticipation of the march, authorities installed additional surveillance cameras throughout the city center and were expected to use facial recognition technology to identify participants in the prohibited event. Under the new law, those caught attending Pride could face fines of up to 200,000 Hungarian forints ($586).
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Marcher András Faludy described the recent uproar over the Pride march in Hungary as "damn pathetic. It's nonsense.
"I could use an uglier word because I'm extremely angry, but I won't," he added.
Orbán's regime has implemented another strike against LGBTQ+ rights, previously prohibiting same-sex adoption and marriage, as well as barring transgender individuals from amending gender markers on official documents.
Organizers hit a wall with the police who denied multiple registrations for the Pride parade, pointing to the recent legislation. Nonetheless, Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony backed the event, announcing it would proceed as a city-sponsored function, which he argued doesn't need police endorsement.
Despite the mayor's support, Hungary's government doubled down, maintaining that any iteration of the Pride march goes against the law. The nation’s justice minister even threatened Karácsony with potential prison time up to a year for bolstering Pride or prompting attendance.
March participants underlined their view of the occasion: a symbol of defiance aiming to defend sexual minority rights and a democratic Hungary.
Parade-goer Zsófia Szekér observed the crowd size as evidence of a societal hunger for transformative progress in Hungary.
"I think we can only achieve change if so many people take to the streets," she stated, summing up the demonstrators' conviction.
