Hungary Orban Warns Legal Action Against Budapest Pride Participants

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has warned of legal consequences for anyone organizing or participating in the Budapest Pride march, which has been banned by police under a law passed in March citing child protection. The legislation also permits the use of facial recognition cameras to identify attendees and impose fines, a move critics view as part of a broader crackdown on democratic freedoms ahead of next year's parliamentary elections. Despite the ban, Budapest’s liberal mayor has vowed to hold the march as a celebration of freedom, with support from Britain, France, Germany, and 30 other countries, as well as calls from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to allow the event. Orbán dismissed such appeals as interference akin to Soviet-era control, emphasizing that Hungary is a civilized country whose police aim to enforce the law without unnecessary hardship. His government promotes a strict Christian-conservative agenda and has enacted multiple laws restricting LGBTQ rights, including a constitutional amendment banning public events of sexual and gender minorities. The upcoming Pride event thus remains a focal point of tension between Hungary’s government and both domestic opposition and international supporters of LGBTQ rights.