Hungary bans pro-LGBTQ march for first time under crackdown law

Hungarian authorities have banned a pro-LGBTQ march scheduled for this weekend in Budapest, marking the first use of recently amended constitutional provisions restricting events that the government claims “endanger” children.

Budapest police denied permission to a demonstration called by five human rights bodies including Amnesty International Hungary, according to a statement Monday. The ban cited the recent amendment that prioritizes children’s rights to “adequate physical, mental and moral development” over most other freedoms, police said.

The changes approved in April, championed by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, raised concerns as they opened the door for authorities to ban demonstrations, previously protected under the freedom of assembly and speech, and for discriminating against the LGBTQ community. Orban, emboldened by U.S. President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, promised earlier this year to ban the Pride parade in Budapest outright.

Hungary’s Helsinki Committee, one of the organizers of the banned march, said in a statement they will mount a legal challenge to the decision, arguing it shows arbitrary political bias in suppressing dissenting voices and stifling public debate.