Hungarian parliament to vote on amendment to ban Pride events

Hungarians have demonstrated against the law that effectively bans LGBTQ+ Pride events (Zoltan Mathe/MTI/AP)

Hungarian politicians are preparing to vote on a constitutional amendment viewed by many critics as both a crackdown on the freedoms of assembly and expression and the most recent move by the populist government to restrict the rights of LGBTQ+ communities.

The amendment, which will almost certainly be passed on Monday by the two-thirds majority of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s nationalist Fidesz party, would permanently codify a ban on public events held by LGBTQ+ communities – including the popular Pride event that draws thousands annually in the capital Budapest.