Record crowds expected at Budapest Pride march in defiance of Orban's ban
A record number of people are expected to attend Saturday's Pride march in the Hungarian capital Budapest, defying a ban that marks an unprecedented regression of LGBTQ rights in the European Union.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban 's ruling coalition amended laws and the constitution earlier this year to prohibit the annual celebration, justifying his years-long clampdown on LGBTQ rights on "child protection" grounds.
While Orban has been emboldened by the anti-diversity offensive of US President Donald Trump, his own initiatives have drawn protests at home and condemnation from the EU and rights groups.
The nationalist leader on Friday said that while police would not "break up" the 30th edition of the Pride march, those who took part should be aware of "legal consequences".
Despite the risk of a fine, more than 35,000 people are expected to gather at 2:00 pm (1200 GMT) near Budapest's city hall, an hour before the march begins.
Ministers from several EU countries, and dozens of European lawmakers are expected to attend in defiance of the ban, reminiscent of that in Moscow in 2006 and Istanbul in 2015.
"We're not just standing up for ourselves... If this law isn't overturned, eastern Europe could face a wave of similar measures," Pride organiser Viktoria Radvanyi said.
Freshly installed cameras
Earlier this week, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen called on the Hungarian authorities to reverse the ban.
Thirty-three countries have also spoken up in support of the march.
While parade organisers risk up to a year in prison, attendees can face fines up to 500 euros ($580). The latest legal changes empower the authorities to use facial-recognition technology to identify those who take part.
Freshly installed cameras have appeared on lamp posts along the planned route of the march.
However, opposition Budapest mayor Gergely Karacsony has insisted that no attendee can face any reprisals as the march -- co-organised by the city hall this time -- is a municipal event and does not require police approval.
"The police have only one task tomorrow, and it is a serious one: to ensure the safety of Hungarian and European citizens attending the event," Karacsony said during a briefing with visiting EU equalities commissioner Hadja Lahbib.
Far-right groups have announced multiple counterprotests along the planned route of the procession.
Justice Minister Bence Tuzson this week sent a letter to EU embassies cautioning diplomats and staff against participating because of the police ban.
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Senior European Union officials joined Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony at an international press conference on Friday at City Hall to mark the event. Mayor Karácsony opened the event by highlighting the significance of the large media turnout, saying it reflects deep concerns about the state of democracy in Hungary. "Hungary has become a laboratory for dismantling democracy over the past 15 years," the mayor said, calling the attempted ban on Pride the culmination of that process. He emphasized that Saturday's Pride parade is a municipal event and is not subject to the recent legal bans introduced in the spring. "Love cannot be banned, no one can be a second-class citizen in Hungary," Karácsony declared. "That's why the capital's municipality has taken the lead in organising Budapest Pride." Karácsony welcomed the strong show of international support, noting the presence of representatives and mayors from nearly 30 countries. When asked about reported far-right counter-demonstrations organised by the Our Homeland Movement and the 64 Counties Youth Movement—both of which have reportedly received police permits— Mayor Karácsony responded that he would personally vouch that no reprisals would be taken against those participating in Budapest Pride. He stressed that it would reflect poorly on Hungary if freedom of assembly could not be protected at a municipal event, while far-right groups were allowed to protest against others' rights. He expressed confidence that such counter-demonstrations would not be permitted, adding that in recent years, police had handled similar situations responsibly. "I am sure that unless there is an explicit political order for the police not to fulfil their constitutional duty, they will carry it out professionally—as they have done in previous years," he added. In response to further questions, the mayor added that the city would deploy hundreds of its own security officers and, for the first time, hire private security guards to help ensure the safety of the event. Meanwhile, the national civil law enforcement agency of Hungary (ORFK) said on Friday evening that, because the city had not appealed the ban, it had become final. However, the city disputes the legality of the ban, arguing that municipal events do not require a permit and therefore cannot be lawfully prohibited on that basis. EU Commissioner for Equality Hadja Lahbib also spoke at the press conference, condemning discriminatory treatment of LGBTQ+ people under Hungarian law. 'It is not acceptable to think that members of the LGBT community are subject to different rules than other people,' she said.'Budapest is famous for its acceptance, and diversity is one of the foundations of the European Union. This diversity must be protected.' Lahbib added. 'Saturday's event is not just a parade—it is a demonstration and a celebration of the fact that we are diverse, and the fact that we can show it, we can live it also.' Nicolae Ștefănuță (Renew Europe), Vice-President of the European Parliament, came on behalf of European Parliament President Roberta Metsola to deliver a unanimous message: human rights must be respected. Metsola said that the EP delegation of around 200 people to the march would be the largest group of human rights defenders. Ștefănuță pointed out that by joining the EU, member states are also accepting common European values. "If 50,000 people want to take part in a peaceful event, they have the right to do so, and this must be guaranteed in Hungary in accordance with European law and the Hungarian authorities have a duty to protect the participants," he explained, adding that Pride is a celebration of love and pride. Budapest Pride Spokesman Máté Hegedűs recalled that the parade has been held peacefully for decades and that they have been preparing for the 30th anniversary for two years. This year's slogan is "We are at home" - a message that the LGBTQ+ community is not an ideological product imported from the West. Hegedűs said they expect the police to protect the participants of the event from any potential far-right threats. The ban on Budapest Pride has become an important issue in the EU More than 70 MEPs are planning to attend Budapest Pride to protest against the event's ban and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's policies. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called on the Hungarian authorities to allow Pride to take place in Budapest. She said it was important that the event should take place without fear and without any criminal or administrative sanctions against the organisers or participants. Prime Minister Orbán said that the Commission President was behaving like Moscow: "She sees Hungary as a subordinate country and thinks that she can tell Hungarians from Brussels how to live, what to like, what not to like, what their legal system should be, what to ban and what not to ban." In the European Parliament plenary session last week, centrist and left-wing MEPs called on the EU to take action against Hungary over its ban on the Pride parade. Spain's Iratxe García Pérez, who leads the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group in the European Parliament, said they could see and hear the LGBTQ+ people of Hungary and would march alongside them proudly and loudly. Several members of the Left in the European Parliament (GUE/NGL) will also take part in Saturday's march. Manon Aubry, co-chair of the EP's radical left group, explained: "By taking part in Pride we are sending a clear message: wherever fascists like Orban attack the rights of the LGBT community, women or minorities, we will be there to stand in their way. We hope that the participation of MEPs in this march will prompt the Commission to react and put an end to its lenient attitude towards this regime abusing human rights. We march with pride to defend the right to love who you want." Far-right marches After the police banned the Pride march on the grounds of the Child Protection Act, Mayor Karácsony announced that the municipality of Budapest and the Rainbow Mission Foundation would organise an event on June 28 called Budapest Pride Freedom Day. In a joint statement, 71 Hungarian NGOs have expressed their support for the organisers of Budapest Pride and the free exercise of the right to peaceful assembly. Like the Our Homeland Movement, the far-right 64 Counties Youth Movement has announced rallies in several locations across the capital on Saturday. The movement has also received permission from the police to hold a rally in the City Hall Park, beginning in the morning. Pride organisers announced a few days ago that they would also hold a rally in the park. Several European countries have warned their citizens that attending Budapest Pride could result in a €500 fine and have highlighted increased security risks due to planned far-right counter-demonstrations.
