Organizers expected between 30 and 40 thousand participants like in years before, but were shocked when between 100,000 and 300,000 people marched in the Budapest Pride Parade Sunday.
Many said that they were there to support their LGBTQI community, and many said they came as allies to protest the country's fascist regime.
One marcher, Blanka Molnár, told the AP that it was “a fantastic feeling” that more people had attended the Pride march than ever before despite it being outlawed. She said it was “increasingly important” for Hungarians, “even those who have never been to Pride before,” to push back against the government’s policies.
Video has emerged of police slamming peaceful marchers to the ground and forcing them into vans. The total number of people detained due to the governor's office deeming the march unlawful is unknown.
Trigger Warning: Violent Images
