200,000 people (or more) marched in the Budapest Pride parade
Despite being labeled as illegal by the ruling Viktor Orban’s far-right government, the LGBTQ+ society’s main event of the year in Hungary – the Budapest Pride parade – gathered huge crowds, also turning into a proof of popular resistance against the country’s current leadership.
The Budapest Pride 2025 paradePAP/EPA/SZILARD KOSZTICSAK
„It is hard to estimate the exact number of participants because this year’s Budapest Pride parade was bigger than ever. We estimate that between 180,000 and 200,000 people took part” – the Budapest Pride president, Viktoria Radvanyi, told the AFP agency.
The number might have been even higher, though. Speaking to the crowd gathered at the end of the route, Hungarian actor Kristof Steiner said the march was the largest gathering he had seen in 30-years. „I talked to people who took part in some 200,000-strong protests, and they said that this Saturday’s parade was at least twice as big” – he added.
Budapest’s opposition mayor, Gergely Karacsony, also commented on the event on social media – saying he is proud of his city. The politician took part in the gathering despite the fact that it was banned by the police. Earlier, referring to a possible punishment, he said that if such a thing happened „it would only have increased his popularity”.
The best testament to the excessive size of the march is that when its front had already reached the finish line at the Polytechnic square, its tail had not yet even passed the starting point of the parade. The participants crossed the Elizabeth Bridge, and not the Freedom Bridge, as previously planned, which was blocked by supporters and members of the far-right Movement of Our Homeland (Mi Hazank).
The participants carried rainbow flags, transparents, wore costumes and other decorations symbolizing their support for the locally repressed LGBTQ+ community, as well as banners condemning Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his far-right minions.
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Source: PAP, IAR
