Budapest Mayor Charged Over Organisation of Banned Pride March

Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony has been charged for organising a banned LGBTQ+ Pride march that went ahead last year and drew one of the largest crowds in Hungary’s history.

The Pride event, held on June 28, proceeded despite a prohibition imposed by Hungary’s far-right government. Organisers estimated that about 300,000 people took part in the march.

In a statement, the Budapest Chief Prosecutor’s Office said Karacsony was charged with organising an unlawful assembly in defiance of an official ban. Prosecutors recommended that the mayor be fined without a court trial.

According to the prosecution, Karacsony made “repeatedly published public calls” encouraging people to attend the march and later led the procession himself.

Reacting to the charge, Karacsony described himself as a “proud defendant,” saying he was willing to face the consequences for defending fundamental freedoms. “This is the price you pay if you stand up for your own freedom and the freedom of others,” he said.

The mayor did not deny the prosecutors’ account of his role in the event, stating, “That is exactly what happened,” and adding that “resistance is a duty.”

The case follows the passage of a controversial law by Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s ruling party in March 2025, which bans Pride events and permits the use of facial recognition technology to identify participants.

The Hungarian government has defended the legislation by arguing that Pride marches violate children’s rights to moral and spiritual development.