Protests erupted in Hungary’s capital, Budapest, following the passage of a law banning Pride events and allowing the use of facial recognition software to track attendees. The nation’s largest LGBTQ event, Budapest Pride.
Thousands took to the streets, blocking the Margaret Bridge over the Danube, while opposition lawmakers set off rainbow smoke bombs in Parliament to demonstrate their opposition. Evgeny Belyakov, a Russian citizen living in Hungary expressed a concern, saying, “It’s quite terrifying to be honest, because we had the same in Russia. It was building up step by step, and I feel like this is what is going on here. I just only hope that there will be more resistance like this in Hungary because in Russia we didn’t resist on time and now it’s too late.”
The law passed with overwhelming support from Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party and the Christian Democrats, bans attending or hosting events that promote homosexuality if minors might be present. Attendees face fines of around $550, and law enforcement can use facial recognition technology to track participants. This law builds upon Hungary’s controversial 2021 “child protection” law, which restricts queer content aimed at minors. The European Union has condemned the law, calling it discriminatory, while local Pride organizers have labeled it “fascism.”
