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Opposition leader Peter Magyar calls Orban the "King of Pride"
More than a hundred thousand people marched through Budapest on Saturday in a banned Pride parade that turned into a powerful protest against Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ultranationalist government. Despite an initial police ban that cited the "child protection law", the demonstration went ahead because the liberal mayor of the city, Gergely Karacsony, found a legal loophole and organized the march as a municipal event. The move resulted in the largest crowds in the event’s history. Protesters from all over Europe waved rainbow flags and carried signs denouncing Orbán's increasingly authoritarian policies.
This year's pride happened amid tensions between Hungary and the European Union, which has frequently clashed with Orbán over rule-of-law concerns. In an appearance on state radio, Orbán accused the EU of orchestrating a “repulsive provocation” in the form of the Pride parade. He claimed the event was intentionally routed through areas with churches and schools. His government’s crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights has included banning same-sex couples from adopting children, getting married, and featuring members of the LGBT community in educational materials or TV shows for minors..
The ruling party’s stance appears to galvanize opposition more than ever. Protesters at the march not only demanded equal rights for queer people but also voiced concerns over Hungary's democratic backsliding and mounting corruption.
Orban's challenger, Peter Magyar, the leader of the centrist Tisza Party, called Orban "Europe's king of Pride" on X, saying "no one else has managed to mobilize such a massive crowd for a demonstration through hate-mongering and incitement." Magyar, who until now has avoided commenting on LGBTQ+ issues, argued that the Hungarian Prime Minister is "no longer capable of governing" and that through his politics, he "managed to bring about one of the largest pro-freedom events in Europe." Current polling shows Magyar ahead of Orban by more than 10 percent.