Rainbow Defiance? Tens of thousands of flood Boooest Streets for prohibited Pride March | Today news

Tens of thousands of Hungarians and international allies flooded the streets of Budapest on Saturday in a historical performance of resistance to Premier Viktor Orbán’s ban on pride celebrations. Record -breaking crowds protest march Orban’s ban on “child protection” as cameras in the facial recognition blowing with rainbow flags and signs that declare that ‘freedom and love cannot be banned’, crowds are estimated to be more than 35,000 padded newly installed facial cameras, a tools that threatened to identify participants. The 30th anniversary, which began in the town hall, unfolded peacefully despite the scorching heat and police warnings about “legal consequences” for the participants. “I’m proud to be gay … and I’m very afraid the government wants to put us down. I am very surprised that there are so many people, I want to cry, ‘a 66-year-old participant was quoted as told of AFP, who just gave his first name, Zoltan. In March, the Government of Orbán amended the Constitution of Hungary to prohibit proud events based on “child protection grounds”, which enables fines up to € 500 for participants and one year imprisonment for organizers. Opposition mayor Gerdely Karacsony bypassed the ban by declaring a municipal event – a move from national police rejected, but could not stop by force. EU officials join municipal resistance amid warnings of prison conditions and fines dozens of EU legislators joined the march, including the Commissioner of Equality Hadja Lahbib, who condemned Hungary’s ‘discriminatory treatment’ of LGBTQ+ people. “Orban uses a proven recipe before the next year election by generating a conflict,” political analyst Daniel Mikecz was cited as cited by AFP and said that Orban was “polarizing society”. The atmosphere has definitely remained festive, even if the right -wing groups were performed counter -protections; Police have derived routes to avoid collisions. For the 18-year-old student, Horváth had participation ‘symbolic importance’: ‘It’s about standing up for the rights of all Hungarians’. The massive rise indicates an increasing resistance to Orbán’s decade -long erosion of LGBTQ+ rights, says a campaign analysts are aimed at compensating conservative voters before the 2026 election. Although Orbán claimed inspiration from Donald Trump’s ‘Anti-Diversity Push’, the event drew unprecedented world support: 33 countries and President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, condemned the ban. For 66-year-old Zoltán, a first time march, the Solidarity was overwhelming: ‘I want to cry to see so many people here’.