Amid a vibrant display of rainbow flags and chants of defiance, thousands gathered in Hungary’s capital on Saturday to take part in Budapest’s 30th annual Pride march, an event that this year served as both a celebration and a bold act of protest.
Participants braved the sweltering heat as they made their way through the streets, holding signs that read “Solidarity with Budapest Pride” and placards featuring crossed-out images of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
The crowd included a diverse mix of supporters, families with strollers, teenagers draped in rainbow capes, and elderly residents walking arm-in-arm with activists.
Music blared from portable speakers as the procession moved from the city’s historic centre to its riverside roads. The march grew in both size and volume, asserting visibility in spaces where a new law aims to push LGBTQ+ voices out of public view.
The demonstration took place in open defiance of a police ban issued earlier this year under newly introduced legislation that prohibits LGBTQ+ events nationwide.
“This is about much more, not just about homosexuality … This is the last moment to stand up for our rights,” said Eszter Rein Bodi, one of the many marchers, in an interview with Reuters.
Krisztina Aranyi, another participant, also spoke to the news agency, saying: “The right to assembly is a basic human right, and I don’t think it should be banned.”
She added, “Just because someone does not like the reason why you go to the street, or they do not agree with it, you still have the right to do so.”
Handmade banners were held high throughout the crowd. One sign declared, “Transgender people are a blessing on this earth,” while another read, “Proud. United. Equal in every corner of the EU.”
Officials said in May that at least 70 Members of the European Parliament were expected to join the march.
Among them was Dutch MEP Kim Van Sparrentak from the Greens/European Free Alliance group, who said she was attending to “support the LGBTIQ+ community in Hungary, to let them know that they are not alone (and) to be visible as a community.”
“Pride is a protest, and if Orbán can ban Budapest Pride without consequences, every pride is one election away from being banned,” she added.
The controversial law, passed in March, not only restricts Pride events but also permits the use of facial recognition technology to monitor participants — measures that rights groups argue are illegal and part of a broader crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights in the country.
Prime Minister Orbán welcomed the legislation, asserting it would block gatherings that “violate child protection laws.” His government continues to push a staunchly Christian-conservative agenda.
In response to the ban, widespread protests erupted across Budapest earlier this year. Organizers vowed to press on with the annual march despite government opposition, declaring: “We will fight this new fascist ban.”
A global petition urging police to overturn the ban has garnered over 120,000 signatures from supporters in 73 countries. The petition calls on authorities to “reject this unjust law” and to ensure the march proceeds “unhindered and peacefully, free from discrimination, harassment, fear or violence.”
Despite political pressure and legal obstacles, this year’s Pride march became a powerful show of unity, resistance, and hope for Hungary’s LGBTQ+ community and its allies.
