Budapest Pride turns into mass anti-government protest

Thousands marched through Hungary's capital in defiance of Orban's LGBTQ+ restrictions and in support of broader democratic freedoms.
Text: Óscar Ontañón Docal
Published 2025-06-29

The latest news on Hungary. What began as a banned Pride event quickly grew into one of the largest anti-government demonstrations in recent years, held over the weekend in opposition to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Waving rainbow flags and chanting for equality, a massive crowd of around 100,000 people filled central Budapest to protest Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's ongoing crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights and democratic freedoms.

A petition calling on law enforcement to lift the ban has gathered more than 120,000 signatures from advocates in 73 countries, urging officials to reject this legislation, believed to be the first of its kind in the recent history of the European Union.

Brussels, Belgium on Jun. 28, 2018.Prime Minster of Hungary Victor Ornab arrives for a meeting with European Union leaders

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