Oradea prohibits Pride march: Ark plans peaceful protest despite the ban!

Oradea prohibits Pride march: Ark plans peaceful protest despite the ban!

Oradea, Rumänien - On July 24, 2025, the situation around LGBTQ+events in Hungary and Romania is increasingly coming to a head. While the city administration of Oradea banned a planned pride march for this Saturday, tens of thousands of people in Budapest showed impressive solidarity despite official bans last month. This is the context for the current development in the region.

The Pride event in Bucharest took place on June 7, and the organizers had originally proposed several routes for the march, but all were rejected. The city government of Oradea referred to construction sites and already registered events for their ban. The association Ark Oradea, which represents the LGBTQ+rights, sees this measure violated and plans to take legal steps against the city administration.

resistance to the bans

Ark Oradea announced that the march would be held as a peaceful protest despite the ban. President Iuliu Ditiu expressed concern about a "dangerous precedent" and recalled the ban on the rainbow parade in Budapest, which ended in a record participation at the end of June. In Budapest, in the 30th annual Pride, despite a ban on the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, around 100,000 people took part, which makes the event the greatest in Hungary.

The march in Budapest started at the town hall and led through the city center. The police had to separate the amount from a small group of right -wing extremists. Participants swiveled rainbow and anti-government flags and walked through the streets without fear, while the Hungarian government referred to a new law that makes it a criminal offense to prevent events that represent or promote homosexuality under the age of 18

repression and support

The Hungarian government argues that the Pride is a violation of the rights of children and warns that the organization or participation in the Pride could be punished with up to one year in prison. Despite these threats, Mayor Gergely Karácsony supported the organizers and declared the event to be a separate municipal event that could take place without a police permit.

The authorities also installed cameras and planned the use of facial recognition technology to identify the participants. Nevertheless, many of the participants viewed the Pride not only as a celebration, but also as part of the continuous struggle for the rights of sexual minorities and the democratic future of Hungary.

The continuing protests and the support for LGBTQ+rights in the region show that despite lively resistance, both the governments and conservative groups that are unmistakable. It remains to be seen how the situation in Oradea will develop and whether the announced protest against the ban can actually take place.

For further information on the developments in Budapest and the resistance campaigns against the government of Viktor Orbán, see also the reporting of AP News and Consumer protection forum .