Hungary Faces Record 200,000 Defying Orban Pride Ban in Budapest

In Budapest, a record-breaking Pride parade drew over 200,000 participants despite a government ban imposed by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who amended laws and the constitution earlier this year to prohibit the annual event citing "child protection". The opposition-run Budapest city hall, led by Mayor Gergely Karacsony, co-hosted the parade as a municipal event, refusing to acknowledge the ban and police warnings, while the government deployed facial recognition cameras and threatened fines and possible prison sentences for organizers and attendees. The march marked a significant act of defiance against Orban’s “illiberal” Christian authoritarianism and was supported by dozens of European lawmakers who attended in violation of the ban, signaling a broader resistance to anti-LGBTQ laws in the EU. Orban warned participants of legal consequences but did not order police to break up the event, which some analysts viewed as a political embarrassment for his party and a potential turning point weakening his government’s repressive stance. Despite fears of repression, including fines enforced immediately by tax authorities and the risk of imprisonment for organizers, the massive turnout highlighted widespread public support for LGBTQ rights and freedom of assembly. The event has drawn condemnation from the EU and human rights groups, with calls for reversing the ban to prevent similar measures spreading across Eastern Europe.