Standoff over Pride Parade in Budapest: Police Ban, Mayor's Resistance
Authorities in Budapest prohibited the planned Pride parade proceedings.
Budapest, Hungary's iconic Pride Parade is caught in a bitter dispute between the city administration and national authorities. The march for the LGBTQ+ community's rights, initially set for June 28, has been effectively banned by the Hungarian police.
City officials, led by Mayor Gergely Karacsony, have poured cold water on the ban, with Karacsony declaring on Facebook that the decision lacks validity. Because it is a municipal event, Karacsony claims he doesn't require official permission for the Pride Parade.
The right-wing, nationalist government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has for years encroached upon the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals under the guise of child protection. The English acronym LGBTQ encompasses lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals.
In an attempt to curb the annual Pride Parade, the Hungarian Parliament passed a law amendment in March, prohibiting any assemblies that violate the Hungarian LGBTQ laws. This restriction goes as far as penalizing individuals with fines between 6,500 to 200,000 forints (€16 to €500) and organizers with up to a year in prison. The legislation also authorizes police to use AI-powered facial recognition technology to identify participants.
The 2021 law in Hungary further restricted LGBTQ+ rights by banning any depiction of homosexuality in front of minors. In April, the parliament also approved constitutional amendments to further curtail LGBTQ+ rights and provide legal footing for Pride Parade bans.
The move against the Pride Parade has triggered protests within Hungary, with thousands attending demonstrations and bridge blockades. Additionally, numerous EU parliamentarians plan to participate in the Pride Parade, defying the national ban.
Meanwhile, the European Commission is scrutinizing the law and is prepared to employ legal mechanisms to safeguard European values centered on freedom of assembly and LGBTQ+ rights.
As the legal battle over the Pride Parade proceeds, Budapest's 30th annual LGBTQ+ celebration is slated for June 28, 2025. The event will face challenges from the police ban but enjoys the local administration's support and the attendance of about 70 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who are determined to challenge the national restrictions.
The European Commission has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation, as political tensions escalate over Hungary's ban on the 2021 Pride Parade in Budapest, with the Parliament's passing of laws restricting LGBTQ+ rights and threatening participants with fines and imprisonment. War-and-conflicts, politics, and general news continue to dominate headlines as the standoff over the Pride Parade unfolds, with EU parliamentarians planning to defy the national ban and attend the event in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.
