Thousands Attend Banned Budapest Pride in Defiance of Viktor Orban
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Tens of thousands of people took to the streets for Budapest Pride on Saturday in defiance of attempts by the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to ban the event.
Dozens of members of the European Parliament joined the procession in support of the event in the Hungarian capital as the 30th annual event went ahead despite moves by the government to push back against LGBTQ+ rights.
Renáta Uitz, a leading constitutional law expert at the CEU Democracy Institute, told Newsweek on Saturday from the middle of the event that it was a "mass demonstration for freedom and against the government."
Newsweek has contacted the Hungarian government for comment.
A participant poses with a placard reading 'Many colours are a class' during the Budapest Pride march, on June 28, 2025 in Budapest, despite a governmental ban of the event.
A participant poses with a placard reading 'Many colours are a class' during the Budapest Pride march, on June 28, 2025 in Budapest, despite a governmental ban of the event.Why It Matters
Orbán's government has amended laws and the constitution this year to prohibit the annual celebration as part of a clampdown on LGBTQ+ rights on "child protection" grounds.
The government also said it would use facial recognition software to identify people attending any banned events which has been condemned internationally as showing its intent for weakening democratic institutions at the heart of the EU.
Saturday's protest is a rallying cry against Orbán's policies and will likely deal a political blow to the leader of the Fidesz party who faces re-election next year.
What To Know
Crowds gathered in Budapest for the city's 30th annual Pride march in which demonstrators carried signs reading "Solidarity with Budapest Pride" and waved placards bearing crossed-out illustrations of Orbán.
Saturday's procession started a 3 p.m. local time and grew bigger as it wended through the city's historic center to its riverside roads, CNN reported, proceeding in defiance of a police ban imposed this year under sweeping new legislation that prohibits LGBTQ+ events nationwide.
Ursula von der Leyen, EU Commission president, posted her support on X and EU lawmakers attended the event.
I call on the Hungarian authorities to allow the Budapest Pride to go ahead.
Without fear of any criminal or administrative sanctions against the organisers or participants.
To the LGBTIQ+ community in Hungary and beyond:
I will always be your ally. pic.twitter.com/Wz0GBFRz8C — Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) June 25, 2025
In response, Orbán posted on X for the European Commission "to refrain from interfering in the law enforcement affairs of member states."
Dear Madam President,
I urge the European Commission to refrain from interfering in the law enforcement affairs of Member States, where it has no role to play.
I also call on the Commission to focus its efforts on the pressing challenges facing the European Union—areas where it… https://t.co/QHlJofeC6F — Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) June 25, 2025
Uitz, from the CEU Democracy Institute, said it was no ordinary Pride event but a demonstration for freedom and opposition to Orban's government.
Uitz said the best that Orban can do is to save face and present it as a street party rather than a demonstration against the government. "The political and moral credit goes to Mayor (Gergely) Karácsony and his support for a brave civil society initiative," Uitz said.
On April 15, the Hungarian Parliament adopted its 15th constitutional amendment which mandated binary gender recognition in the Constitution and empowered authorities to restrict LGBTQ+ events, citing "child protection."
Uitz told Newsweek in April that this was a move by the ruling Fidesz party for a new social contract but raised questions about Hungary's direction, especially as the country positions itself between Western alliances and illiberal role models.
What People Are Saying
Renáta Uitz, a leading constitutional law expert at the CEU Democracy Institute, to Newsweek: "This not an ordinary Pride. It is a mass demonstration for freedom and against the government.
"The best Orbán can so to save face is to make sure that it is peaceful and remembered as a street party—not as a protest against the regime."
Agnes Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International, on X: "Thousands of people are marching for pride in Budapest...against repression we stand and rise. We resist. This is trans-national civil disobedience."
Ursula von der Leyen, EU Commission president, on X: "To the LGBTIQ+ community in Hungary and beyond: I will always be your ally."
What Happens Next
Orbán has said that police would not break up the Pride march but warned those who took part should be aware of "legal consequence."
There will be anticipation over whether under legal changes, those attending may face fines of up to 500 euros ($590), with tougher sentences possible for organizers, which could prompt more condemnation from the EU.
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