An endless, colorful “river” from thousands of citizens today (28.06.2025) on its streets Budapest, defying the police ban for the gay pride of LOATKI+ community.
Although no official estimation of the authorities for the number of participants in the Gay Pride in the Hungarian capital, Budapest is not available,I have spoken on Instagram about “tens of thousands”.
Journalists at the French Agency said that squares and avenues have been flooded along the route. The march started around 15.00 local time, near the capital’s town hall, under the hot sun.
Among the many protesters, some are involved in Pride for the first time, such as the 66 -year -old Zoltan. “I am proud to be gay and I am very afraid that the government wants to humiliate us. I was very surprised to have so many people, “he admitted, obviously excited.
“Freedom and love cannot be banned” was the central message of the course under the strict surveillance of the police, without causing tensions so far.
Victor Orban’s threats
Nationalist Prime Minister Victor Orban is trying to avoid images of a violent repression: on Friday he ruled out the possibility of intervention by class forces, but He threatened with the “legal consequences” of gays, lesbians, transgender and those who get on the streets.
Throughout Europe, the eyes are on this country of 9.6 million residents who caused the anger of the European Commission with this Prohibition – referring to similar bans in Moscow in 2006 and Istanbul in 2015.
For Akos Horvath, an 18 -year -old student who declares baysxual who traveled two hours to find himself in Budapest and bought paints and a fan to make up, “The point is not only to represent homosexuals but to defend the rights of the Hungarian people.”
After 33 countries expressed their support along the way, The Ministry of Justice warned foreign diplomats in Budapest that if they participate in the forbidden event they would suffer the consequences.
At least 70 MEPs have announced that they will give the present “to tell Victor Orban that they will not tolerate the European plan and to trample fundamental rights”, As Frenchman Rafael Gliksman said, calling on the EU to “stop” the Hugo Prime Minister.
Cameras everywhere and fines
Cameras have been placed along the way and authorities may use face recognition technology to enforce fines of up to 500 euros. The organizers and those who invite people to participate are at risk of one -year imprisonment.
Political analyst Daniel Mikas said that the The aim is to “intimidate the world”, noting that, from a legal point of view, the ban on violating the European conditions signed by Hungary when it joined the EU in 2004.
According to the government, Minors should not be exposed to images of homosexuality or clarity And, even more so, in “sheer” scenes. He also cited children’s protection to justify the prohibition of pride.
Defying the measures, the organizers and the ecologist mayor of Budapest Gergeli Karatsoni decided to take the march, believing that a municipal event does not require official approval.
Far -right anti -authoritaries received permission to demonstrate at the same spot and placed a cross just opposite the starting point of the course. According to Reuters, small groups of far -right attempted to disrupt the event, but the police kept them a distance and modified Pride’s course to avoid conflicts.
Encouraged by Donald Trump’s “attack” in the promotion programs of diversity, “Victor Orban uses, before the 2026 parliamentary elections, a tested recipe that leads to a conflict. The polarization of society in the migration has worked in the past, reminded Daniel Michas.
A resident of the city supporting the ban said that the course “is repulsive, turned into a way of demonstration” by the participants.
Before returning to power, Victor Orban in 2010, Hungary was one of the most progressive countries in the region: homosexuality was decriminalized since the early 1960s and the same-sex political union was legally recognized in 1996. But the conservative prime minister changed.