Record numbers of people have marched in the Budapest Pride parade, defying a government ban that marked a major pushback against LGBTIQ+ rights in the European Union.
Organisers estimated up to 200,000 people took part in the 30th parade in the Hungarian capital, which was held in a festive atmosphere with rainbow flags flying high.
Those numbers far exceed the previous record turnout of 35,000 people and came in spite of a police ban imposed by Prime Minister Viktor Orban鈥檚 nationalist government.
The governing coalition amended its laws and the constitution this year to prohibit the annual celebration, citing 鈥渃hild protection鈥 to justify the years-long clampdown on LGBTIQ+ rights.
鈥淚 am proud to be gay and I am very scared that the government wants to bring us down,鈥 one participant, 66-year-old Zoltan, told Agence France Presse.
鈥楤ig embarrassment鈥 for Orban鈥檚 party
Orban said Friday that while police would not break up the Pride march, those who took part should be aware of 鈥渓egal consequences鈥.
Parade organisers risk up to a year in prison, and attendees can face fines up to 500 euros ($897).
The latest legal changes also empower the authorities to use facial-recognition technology to identify those taking part, and cameras had recently been installed on lamp posts along the parade route.
Szabolcs Pek, lead analyst at research centre Iranytu Institute, said it would be difficult for Orban鈥檚 Fidesz party to respond to the high turnout.
During the march, Romanian politician and European Parliament Vice-President Nicolae Stefanuta is pictured standing between two women donning masks of Hungary鈥檚 Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Source: AFP / Peter Kohalmi
The march began chaotically under a scorching sun. Marchers repeatedly had to pause to wait for police to stop traffic.
鈥淚 definitely wanted to come, if only to show my solidarity, and to show how important this issue is 鈥 not only to me, but to almost everyone living in Budapest,鈥 economics student Marcell Szanto, 22, said.
Orban emboldened by Trump鈥檚 anti-diversity push
鈥淔reedom and love can鈥檛 be banned,鈥 read one huge poster put up near city hall, the gathering point for the march.
Earlier this week, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen called on the Hungarian authorities to reverse the ban.
Thirty-three nations, including most EU countries, have also released a statement in support of the march.
Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs in a post on X after the march claimed the opposition staged the parade 鈥渁t Brussels鈥 command鈥.
鈥淲ith Pride, the opposition incited against laws they don鈥檛 like, mocked Hungary鈥檚 sovereignty, and 鈥 with foreign backing 鈥 tried to force woke culture onto us,鈥 he wrote.
It is the first EU nation to ban a Pride march, and Orban has said he has been emboldened by the anti-diversity push by US President Donald Trump.
Some people also gathered along the route to protest LGBTIQ+ rights, in demonstrations called by far-right groups, one of which featured a wooden cross adorned with protest messages.
But opposition leader Peter Magyar said on Facebook that the government 鈥渟cored not a goal, but a huge own goal with their attempt to ban today鈥檚 event鈥.
Budapest mayor Gergely Karacsony in a post noting the big turnout thanked Orban 鈥渇or advertising for a more tolerant society鈥.
One woman, who gave only her first name, Katalin, said she agreed with the ban though she didn鈥檛 want any clashes.
鈥淒isgusting鈥 it鈥檚 become a fad to show off ourselves,鈥 she said.