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Budapest to Defy Police Ban With Record-Scale Pride March

Support from over 30 European embassies underscores international solidarity

A person attends the Budapest Pride march in Budapest, Hungary, July 23, 2022. REUTERS/Marton Monus//File Photo
People take part in a demonstration after Hungarian parliament passed a law that will ban LGBTQ+ communities from holding their annual Pride march and allows a broader constraint on freedom of assembly, at the Elisabeth Bridge in Budapest, Hungary, April 8, 2025. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo/File Photo
A rainbow flag hangs at Budapest city hall

Overview

  • Organizers and volunteers are defying the police ban to prepare for the June 28 march with a projected record turnout
  • Hungarian legislation passed in March empowers police to ban Pride events, fine organizers and attendees up to €500, and use facial recognition to identify offenders
  • More than 30 European embassies, including those of Britain, France and Germany, have publicly backed the march, while the U.S. embassy declined to sign the statement of support
  • The Hungarian Helsinki Committee and two other rights groups have pledged to provide legal aid to attendees facing fines and potential prison sentences
  • Critics view the ban as part of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s wider Christian-conservative agenda ahead of next year’s general election