Defying a ban, Hungarians saved Budapest Pride and rebuked a prime minister
On June 29, more than 100,000 people marched in Budapest’s Pride parade, defying Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s first-ever ban in the event's 30-year history . Authorities deployed facial recognition cameras and threatened fines and arrests to suppress it.
But the parade proceeded as Hungary’s largest LGBTQ+ demonstration yet, supported by families and allies. Organiser Kristof Steiner described it as a powerful act of resistance, with widespread solidarity building public confidence.
Opposition mayor Gergely Karacsony classified the event as municipal, shielding participants from state suppression. Many saw the rally not just as a celebration of LGBTQ+ rights, but a broader repudiation of Orban’s authoritarian drift.
Observers suggest this public defiance significantly undermines Orban’s domestic legitimacy ahead of upcoming elections. The sense of civic awakening may signal strengthened opposition energies across Hungary.
I'm Adedayo Obadina
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