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Budapest Pride Defies Ban as Thousands Join City-Organized March

Budapest’s mayor has recast Pride as a municipal festival to defy Viktor Orbán’s legal threats against demonstrators.

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Overview

  • Budapest’s mayor, Gergely Karácsony, circumvented the national ban by classifying Pride as a municipal event.
  • About 35,000 people are taking part, including dozens of European Parliament members and a large Italian delegation.
  • Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has warned of fines up to €500 and up to one year in prison for organizers or participants.
  • Police have installed facial-recognition cameras along the planned route and organizers are keeping the assembly point secret until an hour before departure to avoid intervention.
  • Some far-right groups have been permitted counter-demonstrations along the same path, and the Italian embassy has raised its alert level to prevent possible violence or sanctions against its citizens.