Tens of thousands of Hungarian protesters marched through the streets of Budapest on Saturday after a government prohibition on the country’s annual LGBTQ+ Pride parade turned the march into a mass protest for civil rights and democracy, Reuters reported. Demonstrators gathered near City Hall, carrying rainbow-colored flags and shouting slogans against Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government.
Police Reroute Parade, Far-Right Protesters Kept Away
Earlier this year, the Hungarian police, while citing the country’s “child protection” law, had banned the Pride parade, but Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony tried to recreate it as a local event, the report said, adding that local authorities redirected the march to steer it away from possible confrontations with right-wing counter-demonstrators.
Despite government warnings, including potential jail time, protesters marched through the streets with some reportedly saying that the “right to assembly is a basic human right,” as reported by Reuters.
EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen Urges Hungarian Authorities To Allow the March
According to the report, more than 70 civil society organisations, 30 embassies and 70 Members of the European Parliament backed the protests, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calling on Hungarian authorities to permit the march.
However, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has campaigned on a nationalist, Christian-conservative platform, has time and again warned of “legal consequences” for organisers and participants. Hungary’s Justice Minister Bence Tuzson has also reiterated a similar stance as Tuzson recently vowed punishment for defiance: one year in prison for organisers and fines for participants.
Dismissing the threats, Karácsony reportedly said, “I cannot take it seriously, such a sentence would only boost my popularity.”
Pride Ban In Hungary: Is Orbán’s Party Seeking Political Gains Ahead of 2025 Elections?
Analysts say Orbán’s Fidesz party is taking advantage of the Pride ban to secure political power, particularly as centre-right opposition Péter Magyar’s Tisza party gains popularity. While Tisza has largely remained silent on its stance on LGBTQ+ rights, it has backed the protection of citizens’ right to be secure while protesting.
