Several international news portals reported on the 30th Budapest Pride. The event on June 28 was organized by the Budapest Metropolitan Municipality and the Rainbow Mission Foundation, and although the authorities banned it, the Budapest Pride march started on Saturday at 3 p.m. towards the Elizabeth Bridge. You can read our minute-by-minute coverage of the Pride by clicking here.

Parallel to the event, three radical organizations also announced counter-protests: the Hatvannégy Vármegye Ifjúsági Mozgalom (HVIM), the Betyársereg and the Mi Hazánk Mozgalom. Előd Novák, the party's vice-chairman, stated that they would close the Szabadság hid at the Pest bridgehead"to prevent the illegal LGBTQP propaganda parade". But Hungarian public figures, including Balázs Sebestyén and Attila Till, also spoke out about the event, both of whom stood in support of Pride.

International response

International newspapers reported on the huge crowd, the festive atmosphere, the possible legal consequences and the trap that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was in:

• The BBC writes that the rainbow march will be held despite the ban. They mention that the organizers are expecting a large number of participants for the event. They also raised the prospect of legal consequences, which Prime Minister Viktor Orbán spoke about on Kossuth Radio on Friday. They list possible fines, the use of a facial recognition system, and they mention that the organizers could even go to prison.
• The Guardian follows European events, including those in Budapest, minute by minute. In a morning article, the newspaper mentions that a record number of participants could be present at the event. If this is the case, then the gathered crowd could be a symbol of resistance to the Hungarian government's measures, they added. They also published several photos of the marchers.
According to
• France 24, tens of thousands of people marched in Budapest on Saturday despite the ban and possible legal consequences. The French newspaper writes that the march began in a festive atmosphere and mentions that several European officials will also participate in Pride.
Al-Jazeera
•  also expects a large turnout and reported on Viktor Orbán's radio interview on Friday. They highlighted that 33 embassies in Budapest issued a joint statement in which they stand by Pride. According to the German daily
Bild
•  the restrictions on Pride threaten freedom of speech. Their report also mentions the presence of German politicians and the speech of Ursula von der Leyen, who asked the Hungarian authorities not to punish the participants. The article also mentioned that Viktor Orbán compared the President of the European Commission to Leonid Brezhnev, the former leader of the Soviet Union. The
Welt
•  reports that a huge crowd had gathered in Deák Ferenc Square, many waving rainbow flags. They highlight the amendment to the Assembly Act adopted in March, which Gergely Karácsony tried to circumvent by classifying it as a local government event. According to
The Washington Post
• , a huge crowd gathered at the event despite police warnings, and the authorities are trying to keep counter-protesters away from the marchers. According to the article, Fidesz began restricting the right to assemble in order to take up the gauntlet against the Tisza Party. According to
The New York Times
• , holding the Budapest Pride march could put Viktor Orbán's government, which tightened the right to assemble in the spring, in a difficult position. The author of the article believes that the prime minister tried to set a trap for his opponents in vain, but he may have fallen for it himself. It is mentioned that Péter Magyar did not speak out on the topic of Pride for a long time, which was criticized by several opposition activists. A correspondent for the Swedish public television,
SVT
• , reported from Budapest, and in his report he reported on a huge crowd. He mentioned that he also ran into a colleague, but he sees a little fear in the crowd. The event is also attended by Swedish activistGreta Thunberg, who posted on her social media page from the City Hall Park and said that what has happened around Pride in Hungary in recent months is a “fascist attack on human rights”.

The international press generally assessed the Budapest Pride parade as a festive, politically significant event that attracted large crowds despite the official ban and legal consequences. The reports emphasized that the parade was a stand for human rights, especially because the Hungarian government tried to prevent it with strict measures.