Thousands party at Budapest Pride in clear message to Orban

Budapest is famous for its lively parties, and this year’s Budapest Pride was no exception. On a hot summer Saturday, the city’s streets, bridges, and riverbanks were filled with a huge crowd celebrating Pride. The event stretched from Pest to Buda, with between 100,000 and 200,000 mostly young people joining in. Normally, it takes just 20 minutes to walk this route, but the parade lasted three hours because of the massive turnout. Many people said they decided to attend because Prime Minister Viktor Orban tried to ban the event. Last year, only 35,000 people participated, but this year, the number grew as people wanted to show they disagreed with the government’s decision. The crowd carried banners mocking Orban, with messages like 'In my history class, I learnt enough to recognise a dictatorship' and 'I'm so bored of Fascism. ' People wore T-shirts with Orban’s face decorated with bright makeup, making fun of the Prime Minister. The Pride march was not just about LGBT rights this year. It became a celebration of human rights and unity. Budapest’s mayor, Gergely Karacsony, spoke to the crowd, saying, 'We don’t exactly look as though we were banned! ' He was proud that the city could host the event, even though the government tried to stop it. He told everyone, 'We are peacefully and freely performing a big, fat show to a puffed-up and hateful power. The message is clear: they have no power over us! ' People from all walks of life joined the march, including a Finnish politician, Li Andersson. She said Orban was using family values as an excuse to ban the event, but that Pride was about everyone’s basic rights. The government’s ban was based on a new law that linked homosexuality with paedophilia and banned showing or promoting homosexuality where children might see it. The police said they had to stop the march to protect children, but the mayor pointed to another law that allowed city events to go ahead. In the end, the police watched quietly from the sidelines and did not interfere. While the Pride march was happening, Orban attended a graduation for new police and customs officers. He told them, 'Order does not come into being by itself, it must be created, because without it civilised life will be lost. ' Some government officials posted family photos online, trying to show what they were proud of. The police used cameras and new technology to record the event, and a new law allowed them to use facial recognition. People could be fined if they broke the rules. Government-friendly newspapers criticized the Pride march, calling it chaotic and saying it was not about freedom. They also mentioned that Greta Thunberg, the climate activist, was at the event. Now, the courts will decide if the mayor and the Pride organisers were right to hold the event. If the courts support them, the government may have to change the law again. If the courts side with the government, Orban will be pleased that his law was enforced, even though the Pride march still took place. The event showed that many people in Budapest are willing to stand up for their rights, even when faced with government opposition.