Thousands flood the streets to protest after Hungary passes law banning Pride marches
Thousands took to the streets in Hungary to protest a bill that would effectively outlaw Pride events (Janos Kummer/Getty Images)
Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Hungary’s capital, Budapest, after the country’s right-wing government passed a law that bans LGBTQ+ Pride marches.
The Fidesz party, which was recently praised by Donald Trump, submitted a bill to parliament on Tuesday (18 March) to effectively ban Pride marches in Hungary. It quickly passed into law and set fines of up to 200,000 forints (£420/$550) for organisers of Budapest Pride and anyone attending, with supporters of the legislation claiming the events could be considered “harmful to children”.
The law allows police to use facial recognition to target and fine anyone at Pride marches.
Prime minister Viktor Orbán took to X/Twitter to praise the move and write: “We won’t let woke ideology endanger our kids.”
Orbán, who has been in power since 2010, has overseen an eroding of LGBTQ+ rights in the country in recent years. In 2020, Hungary abolished legal recognition of trans people, and the following year lawmakers banned LGBTQ+ “propaganda” for under-18s.
According to equality ratings website Equaldex, Hungary now has a rating of just 51 out of 100 in terms of LGBTQ+ rights.
Demonstrators took to the streets in protest, holding signs reading “The first Pride was a riot” and “If you take our human rights, be ready for human wrongs”.
According to the Associated Press, protestors later staged a blockade of the Margaret Bridge over the Danube river, blocking traffic despite police orders to leave the area.
Organisers of Budapest Pride have reportedly vowed to hold their planned 30th Pride march, on 28 June. Last year, more than 30,000 LGBTQ+ people and allies were at the event.
“This is not child protection, this is fascism,” a statement from Budapest Pride organisers said. “The Hungarian government is trying to restrict peaceful protests with a critical voice by targeting a minority. Therefore, as a movement, we will fight for the freedom of all Hungarians to protest.
“Hungarians are freedom-loving… we know that if the government tries to ban protests with critical voices, they will face resistance from the whole of society. That is why [they] need a scapegoat, a distraction, another wave of hatred… they lie to their voters about a child-protection measure but there is no child protection in this bill.”
Jojó Majercsik, from Budapest Pride, told the Associated Press that there had been an “outpouring of support” since the law was passed, adding: “Many, many people have been mobilised.
“It’s a new thing, compared with the attacks of the last years, that we’ve received many messages and comments from people saying: ‘Until now I haven’t gone to Pride, I didn’t care about it but this year I’ll be there and I’ll bring my family’.”
The legislation was also condemned by Amnesty International, who branded it a “full-frontal attack” on the LGBTQ+ community.
“The spurious justification for the passing of this law – that events and assemblies would be harmful to children – is based on harmful stereotypes and deeply entrenched discrimination, homophobia and transphobia,” a spokesperson said.
“This law is a blatant violation of Hungary’s obligations to prohibit discrimination and guarantee freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”
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