Several thousand people attended a Pride march in the Hungarian university city of Pecs on Saturday in defiance of an official ban, AFP observed.

AFP counted between 7,000 and 8,000 protestors who set off from the city centre at around 2:00 pm local time (1200 GMT).

“I am here today because unfortunately, this demonstration is no longer just about the LGBTQ community but about the restriction of our fundamental human rights,” student Bence Toth, 18, told AFP.

“I am not directly involved in any LGBTQ organisations or the community, but many of my students and friends are,” teacher and psychologist Edit Sinko, 58, said. “And I don’t understand why we should ban them.”

The crowd sported colourful flags as well as anti-government signs bearing slogans such as “Hungary is a dictatorship”.

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