BUDAPEST, Hungary (BN24) — Tens of thousands of people marched through central Budapest on Saturday in what organizers called Hungary’s largest-ever LGBTQ+ Pride event, defying a government ban and mounting pressure from Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s administration to stay home.
An estimated 100,000 participants gathered outside City Hall before moving along the Danube River and crossing Erzsébet Bridge, waving rainbow flags and chanting in support of LGBTQ+ rights. Police diverted the demonstration from its original route to prevent confrontations with a small group of far-right counterprotesters, but the marchers continued undeterred, dancing to music and carrying banners denouncing Orbán’s policies.
The demonstration, marking the 30th annual Budapest Pride, was outlawed in March after Orbán’s right-wing populist Fidesz party fast-tracked legislation that criminalized events deemed to “depict or promote” homosexuality to minors under 18. The law, which government officials acknowledged was aimed specifically at Pride, also introduced fines of up to 200,000 forints ($586) for attendees.
“This isn’t just about LGBTQ+ rights,” said marcher Blanka Molnár. “It’s also about the right to assemble and about standing up for each other and not allowing the government to oppress us.” She described the atmosphere as “fantastic,” saying she believed even those who had never attended Pride before felt compelled to participate this year.
The massive turnout came as Orbán, the European Union’s longest-serving leader, faces declining poll numbers and an energized opposition. Though authorities rejected multiple permit requests to hold the event, Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony declared Pride would proceed as a municipal gathering, arguing that such an event does not require government approval. The government disputed that interpretation, warning Karácsony and participants that organizing or promoting Pride could result in prison sentences of up to a year.
Ahead of the march, authorities installed new surveillance cameras and signaled they would use facial recognition technology to identify attendees. Still, the crackdown did not dissuade the crowds.
“I think we can only achieve change if so many people take to the streets,” said participant Zsófia Szekér, who held a sign declaring that Hungary’s democracy itself was under threat. “This is about our future.”
Prime Minister Orbán and his allies have argued that Pride events undermine children’s “moral and spiritual development,” rights that a recent constitutional amendment elevated above other protections, including the freedom to assemble. In recent years, Orbán’s government has also banned same-sex marriage, barred same-sex adoption, and prohibited transgender Hungarians from legally updating their gender on official documents.
The demonstration was widely seen as a high-stakes challenge to Orbán’s authority. As music blasted from speakers and thousands marched through the city center, many said the display of solidarity was itself a form of resistance against the administration’s efforts to curtail civic freedoms.
Marcher András Faludy dismissed the government’s months-long campaign to stop Pride as “hysteria,” adding, “It’s damn pathetic. It’s nonsense.”
Organizers said the record turnout sent a clear message that Hungarians would not be intimidated into silence.
