Hungarian police have banned this year’s Budapest Pride Parade, citing a child protection law passed in March. Yes, you read that right — a law supposedly designed to protect children is being used as an excuse to crush basic human rights and freedoms.
Despite the police ban, organizers and activists are not backing down. Tens of thousands of people from 30 countries, including about 70 Members of the European Parliament and the European Commissioner for Equality, Hadja Lahbib, are expected to take to the streets of Budapest anyway.
Budapest’s mayor, Gergely Karácsony, even tried to organize the parade as a municipal event to bypass the police ban, but authorities rejected this and warned of possible legal consequences. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has made it clear that participants can expect legal penalties, including up to one year in prison for organizers, while attendance is considered an administrative offense.
The law passed in March also allows the use of facial recognition cameras to identify parade participants. Seventy Hungarian civil organizations, including the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union and the Helsinki Committee, have condemned the law as a tool to intimidate society and crack down on civil liberties ahead of upcoming elections.
An artist in Budapest even painted a mural depicting Prime Minister Orbán in a dress and high heels, highlighting the tense atmosphere in the country. European institutions and more than 30 embassies have expressed support for the Pride Parade, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called on Hungarian authorities to allow the event to take place.
This situation is pure chaos and clearly shows how Hungary is under pressure to suppress freedoms and minority rights. Will tens of thousands of people manage to defy repression and take to the streets? One thing is certain — this is not just a parade, it’s a fight for basic human rights and freedom of expression.
Got thoughts on this wild situation? Drop a comment below. Is this a fight for freedom or just another political circus? Let’s hear your voice!
