On Thursday, June 19th, Hungarian authorities officially banned the Pride parade scheduled to take place in Budapest at the end of June. The decision is based on the country’s child protection law, introduced by conservative prime minister Viktor Orbán.
Budapest’s liberal mayor, Gergely Karácsony, has tried to bypass the legislation by declaring that the event will be organised by the city council—arguing that this means no prior police approval is needed.
In March, the Hungarian parliament passed a law allowing authorities to ban any public gathering that violates the 2021 child protection act. That law prohibits the “display or promotion of homosexuality” to minors.
With a solid legal basis for the ban, the government appears determined to block the event, though organisers are still looking for ways to proceed. Mayor Karácsony insists the march will go ahead as planned on June 28th under the city’s authority.
