Budapest Mayor Defies Ban By Police, Vows to Proceed with Pride March

Budapest’s liberal mayor, Gergely Karácsony, has vowed to hold the annual Pride march on 28 June, despite a police ban grounded in Hungary’s new restrictions on LGBTQ gatherings.

A law passed by Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz-led government in March empowers authorities to block marches they deem inappropriate for minors — a move widely seen as targeting Pride events.

Mayor Declares the Ban Illegitimate

Karácsony took to Facebook to dismiss the ban as legally baseless, writing: “the city council did not make its announcement within the ambit of the law on gatherings, this ban has no value.” He boldly added, “Budapest city hall will organise the Budapest Pride march on 28 June as a city event. Period.”

EU Lawmakers Step In

As reported by The Guardian, the European Parliament recently debated the issue, with dozens of MEPs backing the march. Iratxe García Pérez, Spanish Socialist leader, assured LGBTQ Hungarians: “We see you, we hear you and on 28 June we will march with you in Budapest, side by side, proud and loud.”

Dutch Green MEP Tineke Strik confirmed that she and about 70 colleagues will attend in defiance of the ban.

Amsterdam’s mayor Femke Halsema, along with a Dutch minister, also plan to show their support.

Police Ban Echoes New Legislation

Hungarian police cited an amendment passed in March, stating they are “prohibiting the holding of [the] assembly at the aforementioned location and time.”

Under the new law, events deemed potentially harmful to children are subject to prohibition. Organisers have three days to appeal the decision to the country’s Supreme Court.

Growing Stakes in Hungarian LGBTQ Rights

The escalating clash highlights tensions in Hungary between the ruling party’s conservative agenda and rising civil and EU-backed activism.

With international scrutiny intensifying, the outcome of Budapest Pride could signal broader shifts in the country’s democratic freedoms.