An unprecedented sight in Hungary: between 180,000 and 200,000 people gathered in Budapest on 28 June to show their support for LGBT+ rights at the annual Pride march. This is despite the event being banned by the government of Viktor Orbán, with organisers threatened with prosecution, and participants threatened with heavy fines. The same day, a far-right counter-march – authorised by the police – also paraded through the capital.
The ban on Pride this year gave the demonstration a special significance. Many people who had never been involved in fighting for the rights of sexual and gender minorities took part this year in order to defend fundamental freedoms such as the right to demonstrate, and, more generally, to voice their opposition to those in power.
A notable absentee was Péter Magyar, Orbán’s main political opponent, who took to Facebook to attack the Prime Minister’s record while avoiding direct mention of LGBT+ rights. According to some observers, his participation in an event that divides Hungarians could have damaged his image as a man who represents all citizens, without party affiliation, upon which Magyar has built his political success. Magyar’s TISZA party is credited with 46.4% of voting intentions, compared with 35.4% for Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz.
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