Thousands of protesters blocked a major thoroughfare in the centre of Hungary's capital on Tuesday in opposition to a recent law that effectively bans LGBTQ+ Pride events and restricts Hungarians' right to assembly.
The protest was the second in as many weeks since the ruling Fidesz party of Hungary used its two-thirds parliamentary majority last Tuesday to expedite the law, which critics say is the government's most recent assault on the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in the country.
Many swiftly flooded onto one of Budapest's biggest streets, Kossuth Lajos, blocking traffic while chanting "democracy" and "assembly is a fundamental right," and igniting colourful smoke bombs.
Benedek Lakos, 27-year-old member of Budapest's LGBTQ+ community who attended the demonstration, said "democracy is declining."
The new law amends Hungary's assembly rules to make it illegal to host or attend events that violate the country's controversial "child protection" legislation, which forbids the "depiction or promotion" of homosexuality to minors under the age of 18.
Opponents have said the law is reminiscent of similar restrictions against sexual minorities in Russia.
"I feel now for a number of reasons that we have reached a level where, if there are no visible consequences for this (law) from the people, then we can just start digging our own graves," Lakos said.
Authorities may now use facial recognition tools to identify individuals who attend prohibited events and can issue fines for violators of up to 200,000 Hungarian forints ($546).
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's party also plans to adopt a constitutional amendment in April that will codify the ban on public LGBTQ+ events.
Despite his government's claims that they are meant to protect children from "sexual propaganda," critics see his government's measures as part of a larger attempt to rally his conservative base and crack down on sexual minorities.
This year's Budapest Pride marks its 30th anniversary, and organisers have set celebrations for 28 June.
