Tens of thousands defy Orban's ban to march in Budapest Pride

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00:00It's a rallying cry against what Hungarians say is a rollback of rights.

00:04The streets of Budapest flooded with tens of thousands taking part in the Pride March on Saturday,

00:09defying a ban by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's government.

00:14This year, the situation got so toxic in Hungary, including in Budapest,

00:20that now we need to make our voices heard a little more loudly, I think.

00:25This is about much more than just homosexuality, about equal LGBTQ plus rights of course,

00:34but more than that, this is our last moment to stand up for our rights.

00:39The event comes after Orbán's ruling coalition amended laws and the constitution earlier this year

00:45to ban the annual celebration, citing a widely criticised need to protect children.

00:50The move caused outrage in Hungary and beyond,

00:53turning the Pride March into a broader resistance

00:55against what critics say is the EU member states' increasingly weakening democratic institutions.

01:01And it's not just supporters and campaigners of LGBTQ rights that are out in full force.

01:06More than 70 MEPs are also marching for the right to freedom of assembly.

01:10If a Pride March is prohibited, that's illegal.

01:14Not that Pride is illegal, prohibiting is illegal.

01:17And I think it's important for everyone in Europe to stand up for our joint freedoms and liberties and our core values.

01:26Organisers face up to a year in prison and attendees a ban of up to 500 euros.

01:31Nearly 50 organisations from across Europe have urged EU officials to launch an infringement procedure against Hungary,

01:38citing the government's intention to use facial recognition to identify attendees,

01:41a move that would be a violation of the EU's recently adopted artificial intelligence.

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