BUDAPEST -- Tens of thousands of people defied a government ban by participating in the Pride march in Budapest, Hungary's capital, on June 28.
The parade route was changed to avoid possible conflicts with right-wing counter-demonstrators, but as of late evening, no significant incidents transpired.
Observers called the event likely marked the largest Pride march in Hungarian history.
"We believe there are 180,000 to 200,000 people attending," Pride organizer Viktoria Radvanyi told AFP. "It's hard to estimate because there have never been so many people at Budapest Pride." The figure could not immediately be verified.
Right-wing populist Viktor Orban’s government and the Budapest police forbade the annual event under a new law that prohibits the exposure of young people to non-heterosexual lifestyles.
But Budapest mayor Gergely Karacsony, an opposition leader, backed the event by co-organizing it with the city hall to declare it a municipal event, which didn’t require police approval.
Pride marches, a regular annual event in many Western cities, are occasions to highlight the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people.
Orban’s initiatives have been protested at home. The European Union and human rights groups have also condemned his actions.
"We're not just standing up for ourselves... If this law isn't overturned, Eastern Europe could face a wave of similar measures," Radvanyi said.
“We need to stay together. In Europe, we see fascism…The Orban ban is not legal,” Emerich, who attended the event, told RFE/RL.
AP quoted march participant Andras Faludy as saying the “hysteria” over the Pride march in recent months was “damn pathetic. It’s nonsense.”
"I could use an uglier word because I’m extremely angry, but I won’t,” he added.
AFP quoted Zoltan, 66, who declined to give his full name, as saying, "I am proud to be gay and I am very scared that the government wants to bring us down."
"I am very surprised that there are so many people, I want to cry," he added.
Peter Magyar, a former Orban ally but now a leading opposition figure, wrote in a social media posting: "I call on our police officers to protect all Hungarian citizens."
"The goal of the failed leadership is to turn Hungarians against Hungarians, to create fear and divide us.
"I ask everyone not to give in to any provocation. If anyone is injured or hurt in Budapest today, Viktor Orban alone will be responsible,” said Magyar, who has emerged as a major threat to Orban's leadership ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections.
On June 27, Orban warned the participants to be aware of "legal consequences." But he also said that the police would not “break up” the march.
Attendees may face fines of up to $580, while organizers could technically be imprisoned for up to a year. Authorities may be using facial recognition technology to identify the participants.
Karacsony, however, has insisted that participants will not face any reprisals.
The only take for police, he said, "is a serious one: to ensure the safety of Hungarian and European citizens attending the event."
Bence Tuzson, the Hungarian justice minister, has threatened Karacsony with a one-year prison sentence for helping to organize the event.
The minister has also warned foreign embassies in Budapest and informed them that the march was officially banned.
The 30th edition of the Budapest Pride March began at 2 p.m. CET near Budapest's city hall.
Scores of European lawmakers and ministers from several EU countries pledged to attend the event to show solidarity with the participants.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged Hungarian authorities to allow the parade to proceed.
