Hungarian authorities have banned a pro-LGBTQ march scheduled for this weekend in Budapest, marking the first application of new constitutional amendments restricting public events deemed harmful to children.
Budapest police denied permission for the demonstration, which was organized by five human rights groups including Amnesty International Hungary. In a statement on Monday, police cited the amended law that prioritizes children’s rights to “adequate physical, mental and moral development” over other freedoms.
The changes, approved in April and backed by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, have drawn criticism for enabling restrictions on freedom of assembly and targeting the LGBTQ community. Orban, encouraged by U.S. President Donald Trump’s return to office, vowed earlier this year to ban the Budapest Pride parade.
Hungary’s Helsinki Committee, one of the event’s organizers, said it would legally challenge the ban, claiming it reflects “arbitrary political bias in suppressing dissenting voices and stifling public debate.”