Pride and Resistance: How Pride Parades Challenge Hungary’s Right-Wing Regime
With Orbán cracking down on Pride, Budapest answered with color, courage, and resistance.
Justice doesn't wait for any government's approval, and that is no less true in Hungary. In a display of defiance, over 100,000 people took to the streets of Budapest on Saturday, openly disregarding the government's prohibition of pride events. Such a display is not only right but also serves as a warning to Hungary's authoritarian and arch-conservative Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán.
Authoritarianism Defied
Earlier this year, the Hungarian parliament, which the far-right Fidesz party controls, banned pride events under the false pretext of protecting children. Needless to say, merely being LGBTQ doesn't make one dangerous to children. Indeed, the Hungarian government seems inclined to create a false equivalence between LGBTQ people and pedophiles. It is a gross slander.
Under this law, anybody who participates in a pride march would be fined, and the organizers would face up to a year in prison, with facial recognition technology authorized to monitor any participants. There is no other way to interpret this; this is an attack on the Hungarian right to assemble peacefully.
Despite the legal risk and threats from Prime Minister Orbán, organizers announced that they would not back down and the parade would proceed as planned. With the support of Budapest's Mayor Gergely Karacsony, organizers were able to secure approval for the event from the city despite opposition from the police. By the time the protests were complete, organizers estimated that between 180,000 and 200,000 people had marched in the nation's capital.
Why Does it Matter?
Such an outpouring of defiant action against Orbán's government is not only symbolic but is indicative of the weakness and hollow nature of authoritarian regimes like Orbán's. Orbán has cracked down on the press and portrayed nongovernmental organizations dedicated to human rights as dangerous, supporting legislation that would allow the government to track the bank accounts of organizations it dislikes. These measures are not the acts of a strong or justifiable government; they are the moves of a terrified tyrant and his party.
Such a public act of defiance with an upcoming election and with the overwhelming support of numerous EU leaders, including 30 European embassies, is not simply a display of power. It is a reminder that no amount of legislation or authoritarian chest-thumping can replace the fundamental truth that the power of government, the true strength of a society, comes from the people. The suppression of speech and assembly, and the demonization of minorities—regardless of type—are the weapons of a coward who has no answer to his people's cries for justice.
One can only hope that next year's elections will see the people of Hungary send Orbán and his anti-LGBTQ party packing. If there is no justice for the LGBTQ community, there will be no justice for anyone. That is the fundamental truth of society; what happens to one of us can happen to all of us.
Bibliography
France 24. “Talking Europe - Hungary’s Pride March Ban a ‘serious Breach’ of EU Values: Sweden’s EU Minister.” June 27, 2025, sec. europe. https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/talking-europe/20250627-hungary-s-pride-march-ban-a-serious-breach-of-eu-values-sweden-s-eu-minister.
France-Presse, Agence. “Biggest-Ever Budapest Pride Defies Orban Ban in Hungary.” South China Morning Post, June 28, 2025, sec. News. https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3316232/eu-backs-budapest-pride-over-orbans-curtailing-lgbtq-rights.
Jones, Timothy, and Louis Oelofse. “Budapest Pride: Thousands of Marchers Defy Police Ban – DW – 06/28/2025.” Dw.Com, June 28, 2025. https://www.dw.com/en/budapest-pride-thousands-of-marchers-defy-police-ban/a-73074461.
Kemp, Olivia. “Big Crowds Gather in Hungarian Capital to Defy Ban on Budapest Pride | CNN.” CNN, June 28, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/28/europe/budapest-pride-intl.
Masquelier-Page, Alice. “How Hungary’s Orbán Uses Control of the Media to Escape Scrutiny and Keep the Public in the Dark.” The Associated Press, July 31, 2024. https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/how-hungarys-orban-uses-control-of-the-media-to-escape-scrutiny-and-keep-the-public-in-the-dark/.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. “Budapest Pride March Draws Tens Of Thousands Despite Orban Ban.” 02:23:24Z, sec. Hungary. https://www.rferl.org/a/hungary-lgbqt-ban-orban-budapest/33457723.html.
Spike, Justin. “Hungary Targets Critics with Bill That Would Blacklist Critical Media and NGOs.” AP News, May 14, 2025, sec. World News. https://apnews.com/article/hungary-orban-fidesz-bill-media-ngos-control-73586b0f1decfae351c4c7700eec4511.
Thorpe, Nick. “Thousands Party at Budapest Pride in Clear Message to Orban,” June 28, 2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clylnev5y36o.
Yle News, STT. “Finnish MEPs to Join Budapest Pride Parade.” June 28, 2025. https://yle.fi/a/74-20170051.