In the most recent Urgent Action Letter, the Thompson Rivers University Students’ Union has written to Dr. Terdik Tamás, Budapest Chief of Police, calling on him to ensure that the 2025 Budapest Pride Parade is allowed to proceed safely and without obstruction. The letter urges his office to uphold the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression by reversing the decision to revoke the event’s permit and ensuring that organizers and participants are protected from intimidation or harm.
“Banning Pride isn’t about public safety, it’s about silencing queer voices,” said LGBTQ+ Representative, Apoorv Chowdhury. “We wrote this letter to say clearly that queer Hungarians deserve the right to gather, to march, and to be seen. And they are not alone in this fight.”
Since 1997, the Budapest Pride Parade has been a vital demonstration of LGBTQ+ visibility and resilience in Hungary. In April 2025, Hungarian police revoked the event permit, citing concerns about “public morality”, a vague and discriminatory justification. This comes in the context of an ongoing erosion of LGBTQ+ rights in Hungary, including legal restrictions on LGBTQ+ content, bans on gender recognition for trans people, and increasing government hostility toward queer communities.
This crackdown is part of a wider global trend in which governments misuse legal and administrative tools to restrict freedom of assembly, particularly targeting marginalized groups. Around the world, Pride events have become flashpoints for repression under the false guise of maintaining order or morality. But the right to peaceful assembly is protected under international human rights law; and governments have a duty to make these events possible, not prevent them.
“When governments try to erase queer communities from public life, we have a responsibility to speak out,” said Chowdhury. “I hope the Chief of Police recognizes that Budapest Pride is not a threat but a celebration of joy, visibility, and belonging. He has the opportunity to stand on the side of inclusion by allowing this march to go forward.”
We await a response from Dr. Tamás on this urgent matter.
For More Information
The Amnesty Urgent Actions Program allows the Union to take action regarding international human rights injustices that matter to students. Click this link to see injustices we have addressed previously, and for further information about this issue or to see a copy of the letter, contact the Equity Coordinator below.