By Jace Banite
Rainbow flags and colourful ornaments lit up the streets of Budapest on Saturday as hundreds of thousands of people took part in the largest-ever Pride parade in the Hungarian capital.
Primarily aimed at celebrating the LGBTQ+ community with the rest of the world, Budapest Pride reached its 30th anniversary this year.
Speaking with Agence France-Presse (AFP) during Saturday’s parade, Budapest Pride President Viktoria Radvanyi said 180,000 to 200,000 people were attending the event, way beyond the initial expected turnout of 35,000 to 40,000 people.
“There have never been so many people at Budapest Pride,” the organisation leader pointed out.
Meanwhile, several Hungarian news outlets, including 444.hu and Magyar Hang, placed their estimation at around 100,000, still far more than the previous record turnout of 35,000 people.
Budapest parade defies government ban
The huge crowd on Saturday defied the ban on LGBTQ marches that the conservative government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had introduced as part of an intensified campaign against homosexuality.
In March, the Parliament of Hungary, dominated by Orbán’s right-wing Fidesz Party, passed a law that penalises “depiction or promotion” of homosexuality, citing the need to protect children.
In a statement on Thursday, local police said they would adhere to the adopted legislation and banned the Budapest Pride event scheduled for June 28.
This was followed by a warning from Orbán on Friday that those attending the gathering would face “legal consequences”.
But the progressive mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony, nullified the validity of Orbán’s measures, noting that the Budapest Pride is exempted from any assembly law as it is a regular municipal event.
READ MORE: Jeff Bezos–Lauren Sánchez wedding extravaganza in Venice sparks protests
Pride march ‘a municipal event’
In a Facebook post, Karácsony reaffirmed that Budapest Pride would go ahead as planned.
“The Metropolitan Municipality will host the Budapest Pride Freedom Celebration on June 28… as a municipal event. Period,” he said.
Based on the crowd numbers, it appears that the government’s opposition prompted many Hungarians to flock to the capital on Saturday.
Timi, 49, said she was attending the parade for the first time this year.
The Hungarian mother was with her 23-year-old daughter, who had travelled all the way from Barcelona to join the rally.
“We came because they tried to ban it,” Timi was quoted as saying by The Guardian.
Another first-time attendee, Viki Marton, also brought her daughter, nine, to the gathering. She said she wanted the kid to “see the reality”.
“And I’m so excited to be here!,” she declared.
Meanwhile, Akos Horvath, 18, travelled a long distance from southern Hungary to take part in the march, which he described as an event of “symbolic importance”.
“It’s not just about representing gay people, but about standing up for the rights of the Hungarian people,” he told AFP.
Another marcher, Eszter Rein-Bódi, shared similar sentiments, saying the event is “about much more, not just about homosexuality”.
“This is the last moment to stand up for our rights,” they told Reuters.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Glastonbury: The 1975 headline Pyramid Stage as Lewis Capaldi makes emotional return
Geoffrey H. Latayan 
Vivien Bernardino