BREAKING – Police ban Budapest Pride despite many foreign guests: Mayor Karácsony responds unexpectedly – UPDATED
According to a decision by Budapest Police Chief Tamás Terdik, the LGBTQ march known as Budapest Pride cannot be held on the proposed city centre route. There is no right of appeal against the decision, but the organisers may challenge it by initiating an administrative lawsuit.
Police ban Budapest Pride to protect children
According to infostart.hu, Tamás Terdik, Budapest’s Police Chief, issued a decision today banning Budapest Pride. The event was scheduled for 28 June, from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., along the planned route: Károly Boulevard – Astoria – Múzeum Boulevard – Kálvin Square – Vámház Boulevard – Fővám Square – Szabadság Bridge – Műegyetem Wharf.
According to the police document, the authorities concluded that the event constitutes an assembly as defined by the provisions of the Assembly Act. This conclusion was based on public statements made by Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony and the official letter from the city’s Chief Notary.
Although Mayor Gergely Karácsony’s Facebook announcement did not contain the word “Pride” (in Hungarian), the Hungarian name Budapesti Büszkeség translates to “Budapest Pride,” referencing its international and social significance. These elements are considered to embody the characteristics of public expression of opinion, as outlined in Hungary’s controversial Child Protection Act.
Budapest Police stated that it would be impossible to comply with the law during such an event in the city centre, particularly in terms of preventing minors from witnessing conduct prohibited by the Act. The police cited new child protection measures passed by the Hungarian Parliament, which came into force on 15 April.
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The Municipal Council organises the event
The law prohibits gatherings that promote homosexuality, with organisers and participants facing fines of up to HUF 200,000 (approximately EUR 500). The police are also authorised to use facial recognition software to identify attendees—a measure originally introduced for counter-terrorism purposes.
Critics argue that the legislation violates anti-discrimination laws, the right to freedom of assembly, and data protection regulations. The Hungarian Helsinki Committee has noted that no scientific evidence supports the claim that public displays by sexual minorities harm children. Independent MP Ákos Hadházy has been organising protests in Budapest against the legislation for several months.
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According to the original plans, the Budapest Municipal Council was set to organise Budapest Pride in cooperation with the Szivárvány Misszió Alapítvány (Rainbow Mission Foundation).
- Official: Budapest City Council to organise banned pride event
Many foreign participants
The organisers told the press today that the event was expected to host a record number of international guests from over 30 countries, as well as an international human rights conference. Confirmed attendees included Commissioner for Equality Hadja Lahbib, Michael O’Flaherty (the fifth Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe), Spanish and Dutch ministers, deputy secretaries, mayors, former prime ministers of Ireland and Belgium, and more than 70 Members of the European Parliament.
Mayor Gergely Karácsony’s response
Mayor Gergely Karácsony reacted to the police decision in a brief Facebook post. He stated that the authorities had banned a non-existent event, as the Municipal Council had not planned a gathering in the conventional sense. As a result, 28 June will be declared the Day of Hungarian Freedom, and the Municipal Council will proceed to hold the event as an official local government celebration.
UPDATE: Read HERE the top court’s decision concerning the Budapest Pride.