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‘We will fight’: Activists are unbowed after Hungary bans Pride events as part of wider LGBTQ+ crackdown

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Robert Antic has never been to Hungary’s annual Budapest Pride, due to mark its 30-year anniversary this summer. But now, the 37-year-old content creator who is representing Hungary at this year’s “Mr. Gay Europe” wants to join the festivities for the first time – and the timing is no coincidence.

Hungarian lawmakers on Tuesday passed a new law which bans Pride events in the country and allows authorities to use facial recognition technology to identify those attending any events that go ahead despite the ban – something campaigners say is illegal and part of a wider crackdown on the LGBTQ+ community.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban welcomed the ban, which he said would outlaw gatherings that “violate child protection laws.”

“We won’t let woke ideology endanger our kids,” he posted on X on Tuesday.

The move sparked lively protests in Budapest earlier this week, with organizers of the city’s Pride vowing to continue with the annual festival despite the new law and declaring: “We will fight this new fascist ban.”

A spokesperson for Budapest’s mayor, Gergely Karácsony, told CNN that he would work with organizers to find “a solution to hold the event again this year,” branding the new law “an attack on the right to assembly.”

For Antic, who describes himself as a “proud gay man,” the ban is a violation of his right to express himself.

“The new laws make it difficult to imagine a positive future for LGBTQ+ people in Hungary,” he told CNN. “The legal environment feels more restrictive, and it’s worrying to think about what lies ahead.”

Robert Antic

Despite the fears that the new law brings, Antic said he still considers Pride a “fundamental event” for the community.

“No matter the challenges or restrictions, it’s important for people to come together and celebrate who they are,” he said. “I believe change is possible.”

The Hungarian government, led by Orban’s nationalist-populist party, regularly stands at odds with the rest of the European Union despite being a member.

Earlier this month, Hungary, the only EU member state opposing Ukraine from joining, refused to sign a statement of support for Kyiv that was agreed to by all other countries within the union. Orban is also a close ally of US President Donald Trump, with the two sharing both an ideology and political approach.

Orban’s party has been enacting anti-LGBTQ+ legislation for several years now, often under the guise of so-called “child-protection.”

In 2020, the country effectively barred same-sex adoption, with Orban’s office saying at the time that the move strengthened “the protection of Hungarian families and the safety of our children.”

A year later, the country banned the distribution of content related to homosexuality or gender change to under 18s, something the European Commission said violated “a number of EU rules.”

Simon Bird, a 68-year-old retired teacher who moved to Budapest in 2016, told CNN that the Pride ban has made him feel “unseen and actively disliked.”

As a self-described queer person, he has attended every Pride event held in Budapest since he arrived.

Simon Bird said the new law makes him

Though the new law made him momentarily question whether his move to the city had been the right decision, he decided that his presence, along with other members of the LGBTQ+ community, is “now more important than ever.”

“It makes me want to be more obvious (as a queer person),” he said.

For June, a 24-year-old non-binary, bisexual teacher and tattoo artist who did not want to share their last name for privacy reasons, Hungary is a challenging place to be openly LGBTQ+.

“People just don’t get me, my piercings, (or) my colorful hair,” they told CNN. “There’s so little going on (in Hungary) – such little pride, such little confidence, such little faith. It’s quite rare to find explicitly queer events.”

In an effort to create more spaces for LGBTQ+ people in Budapest to meet, June has for the past two years held an event called Queer Picnic on the city’s central Margaret Island.

Some 70 people showed up to the first picnic after June advertised it on social media, with dozens showing up the following year.

June at the first Queer Picnic event, held in summer 2023.

Despite the escalating clampdown, June said that they would organize another event this year, despite the ban on LGBTQ+ gatherings. “Queer Picnic for now will be a really great solace for people during these times,” they said.

“People want to feel normal – that’s all we want. We just want to feel normal,” they added. “It’s the government that keeps inventing new laws to further segregate us.”

As members of the LGBTQ+ community are vowing to defy Hungary’s new law, politicians and non-governmental organizations around the world are speaking out against it too.

“This government wants to turn the clock back by decades and drag the country back to a much darker past,” a cross-party group of European Parliament members declared on Wednesday.

Neela Ghoshal, senior director of Law, Policy and Research at LGBTQ+ charity Outright International, told CNN that Hungary’s “patently illegal maneuver to ban Pride flies in the face of its human rights obligations.”

Ghoshal said the law’s reliance on “the worn-out claim that it is protecting children by criminalizing LGBTIQ people and their allies is a blatant ploy to misuse children for political gain.”

Rainbow-colored smoke bombs were set off by legislators as the anti-LGBTQ+ law was passed inside Hungary's parliament in Budapest on Tuesday, March 18.

Despite criticism from human rights groups and opposing legislators – some of whom let off smoke flares in Hungary’s parliament on Tuesday – the law was passed in a 136-27 vote, with support from Orban’s party and their minority coalition partner the Christian Democrats.

Orban may be trying to appeal to right-wing voters – Hungary’s opposition party, Tisza, leads Orban’s Fidesz in polls, according to Reuters, a year before elections in the country.

Meanwhile, other critics have homed in on the government’s planned use of facial recognition tools to police the ban.

Anna Bacciarelli, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, said that Hungary is subject to the European Union’s AI Act, which, she says, “explicitly prohibits the use of facial recognition in public spaces unless there is justification on national security grounds and when it is subject to judicial oversight.”

Bacciarelli told CNN that “adding Pride attendees to a government database for further profiling and surveillance is an incredibly worrying move that is clearly incompatible with human rights.”

Another danger of facial recognition technology is that it has been shown to misidentify people, particularly those from minority groups, according to Serhat Ozturk, a legal officer at UK-based nonprofit Privacy International.

Ozturk told CNN that the use of facial recognition technology in public spaces is a “highly intrusive level of surveillance.”

June, the non-binary tattoo artist, said the threat of facial recognition being used if this year’s Pride goes ahead initially scared them, but as they heard more people say that they would go anyway in defiance of the law, it “lit a flame” within them.

“I’m realizing that these are all tactics to silence us,” June said. “And if that is their goal, then we must continue. We have to continue fighting. That is all that we can do.”



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Patriot missiles: What are they and why does Ukraine need them so badly?

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US President Donald Trump’s announcement that Ukraine will receive Patriot missile systems as part of a new package of US weaponry has been warmly welcomed in Kyiv as it reels under nightly Russian bombardments.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has made repeated requests for Patriots in recent weeks as Moscow sends record numbers of drones and missiles to cause havoc and fear in Ukrainian cities and towns.

But there were few specifics in Trump’s announcement, and major questions remain over how many Ukraine will receive, when they will arrive, and who will provide them.

Here’s what we know about the vaunted US missile defense system:

The Patriots, short for Phased Array Tracking Radar for Intercept on Target, are the US Army’s key missile defense system.

They most recently proved their worth last month, when they helped shoot down 13 out of 14 incoming Iranian missiles that were launched at the US Air Force’s Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

The latest versions of Patriot interceptors are capable of engaging incoming short-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones at altitudes up to 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) and distances of up to 35 kilometers.

Analysts say that gives a single Patriot battery the ability to cover 100 to 200 square kilometers of area, depending on how many launchers are in the battery, local terrain and other conditions. That’s not a large area in a country the size of Ukraine, at more than 603,000 kilometers in total area.

Hence, Kyiv’s need for multiple new Patriot batteries.

US soldiers walk next to a Patriot missile defense battery during joint exercises at the military grounds in Sochaczew, Poland on March 21, 2015.

A battery consists of six to eight missile launchers, each capable of carrying up to 16 interceptors, along with a phased-array radar, a control station, a power generation station – all mounted on trucks and trailers.

About 90 people are assigned to a Patriot battery, but only three soldiers in the command and control center can operate it in a combat situation, according to US military reports.

A Patriot battery is expensive, with the complete setup of launchers, radars and interceptor missiles costing more than a billion dollars, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

A single interceptor costs up to $4 million, making their use against cheap Russian drones that can cost as little as $50,000 problematic, according to a CSIS report – especially when Russia is sending hundreds of drones a night in recent attacks on Ukraine.

In regards to the latest transfer, US officials said Patriots could get to Ukraine quicker if they were moved from European NATO allies to Ukraine, with those then being replaced by systems bought from the US.

Trump said some or all of 17 Patriot batteries ordered by other countries could get to Ukraine “very quickly,” according to a Reuters report.

According to the “Military Balance 2025” from the International Institute for Strategic Studies, six NATO allies – Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Spain – have Patriot batteries in their arsenals.

<p>A prominent Russian politician said Monday the mood in Russia is “not affected” after U.S. President Donald Trump announced his plan for ending the bloodshed in Ukraine.</p>

Russian lawmaker: Mood in Russia “not affected” by Trump’s 50-day deadline

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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Monday that several nations – including Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway – could be potential suppliers of the new equipment, but did not specifically mention the Patriots as coming from those countries.

There has been concern inside and outside the military that US Patriot inventories may be stretched too thin.

“It is our most stressed force element,” Gen. James Mingus, vice chief of staff of the Army, told a dialogue at the CSIS earlier this month.

He noted the Patriot unit in Qatar that helped defend the Al Udeid air base had been deployed to the Middle East for 500 days, Mingus said, a “very stressed force element.”

Ukraine has said it needs 10 new Patriot batteries to protect itself against Russia’s increased onslaught of missiles and drones.

Kyiv has already received six fully operational Patriot batteries – two from the US, two from Germany, one from Romania and one jointly given by Germany and the Netherlands, according to the UK-based arms monitoring group Action on Armed Violence.

Analysts say Patriots alone can’t end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Wesley Clark, a retired US Army general and former NATO supreme commander, told CNN’s Lynda Kinkade on Monday that the for the arms package to have real effect on the battlefield, it would have to include more than air defense systems.

“If you want to really stop this, you’ve got to strike Russia and you’ve got to strike deep,” Clark said. “you have to shoot the archer and not the arrows coming in.”

CNN’s Kevin Liptak contributed to this report



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Sycamore gap tree fellers sentenced to more than four years each in prison

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Two men have been sentenced to four years and three months each in prison for felling a landmark sycamore tree in northern England.

Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, were both found guilty of two counts of criminal damage in May, one relating to the tree itself and the other to Hadrian’s Wall that it fell on, according to the UK’s PA Media news agency.

The pair were sentenced in Newcastle Crown Court in northeast England on Tuesday.

The tree had stood sentinel on the Roman-built Hadrian’s Wall for more than 200 years before being “deliberately felled” in September 2023, in what authorities at the time called an “act of vandalism.”

Handing down the sentence, the judge said the pair acted with “sheer bravado” and “revelled in the media coverage” their criminal act engendered.

Prosecuting lawyer Richard Wright KC told jurors during the trial that Graham and Carruthers, who had travelled more than 40 minutes from their homes in Cumbria, had engaged in a “moronic mission” to cut down the landmark, PA reported.

The lead prosecutor in the case, Christopher Atkinson of the Crown Prosecution Service, said in a statement that both men had cynically lied about the part they played and blamed each other for “the mindless destruction of this historic landmark.”

The felling of the tree sparked an outpouring of public grief and made global headlines in September 2023.

“An overwhelming sense of loss and confusion was felt across the world,” Andrew Poad, a manager at the National Trust, said in a victim impact statement read out in court, according to PA media.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Susan Dungworth echoed these sentiments in a statement, saying: “The unfathomable felling of the Sycamore Gap Tree generated outrage and upset among many people who had taken Northumberland’s iconic tree to heart.”

“Today those who sought to destroy nature’s poignant symbol of Northumberland have been held accountable,” she added.

The tree was cut down in September 2023.

The beloved sycamore tree, located in the Northumberland National Park, was made famous to millions around the world when it appeared in Kevin Costner’s 1991 blockbuster movie “Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves.”

The tree – at a spot known as “Sycamore Gap” – was located on the UNESCO World Heritage listed Hadrian’s Wall, which was constructed around 1,900 years ago to guard the furthest northwestern frontier of the Roman Empire.

Sycamore Gap was considered one of the most photographed trees in England and was voted as English Tree of the Year in 2016.

Responding to the sentencing, a National Trust spokesperson said: “As the investigation into the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree concludes, we are deeply grateful for the thousands of messages of support received from around the world over the past 18 months.

“The enduring sense of loss reflects the powerful bond between people and our natural heritage,” the spokesperson added.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

CNN’s Jack Guy and Issy Ronald contributed reporting.



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Trump hasn’t ruled out funneling longer-range missiles to Ukraine

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As President Donald Trump hardens his position toward Moscow and seeks new ways to bring the conflict to an end, he is leaving open the prospect of allowing shipments of longer-range missiles to the country that would allow it to strike deeper into Russia, according to officials familiar with the matter.

In conversations with European allies over the past several weeks, Trump has not ruled out allowing certain offensive weapons into Ukraine, including products Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously requested from the United States but not yet received, the officials said.

Trump has also asked about Ukraine’s ability to carry out strikes deep inside Russia in recent weeks in an effort to increase pressure on the Kremlin to drive an end to the war, according to a source briefed on the conversation.

In a recent phone call with Zelensky, Trump asked about Ukraine’s ability to hit both Moscow and St. Petersburg, the source said, a question first reported by the Financial Times.

A US official and a White House official said the question was one of many the president asked about the conflict on the call, and seemed to be raised in passing.

But the Ukrainians were stunned and took Trump’s ideas seriously. Zelensky said that the strikes could be carried out if the Ukrainians had the weapons needed, the first source said. After the conversation, there has been follow-up discussion between Ukraine, other European countries and the US about long-range systems that could be given to Ukraine, the source said.

Ukraine has already been reaching Moscow and the St. Petersburg area with drone strikes.

After the Financial Times reported on Trump’s question, the White House said Trump’s words had been taken out of context.

“President Trump was merely asking a question, not encouraging further killing. He’s working tirelessly to stop the killing and end this war,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN.

The episode underscores the current dynamic between the two countries, as Zelensky works tirelessly to get Trump’s ear and does not want to squander what might be limited support and engagement from the United States.

Asked whether long range offensive missiles were under discussion as part of the NATO plan announced Monday, the alliance’s secretary general said the scheme could include all types of weapons.


“It’s both defensive and offensive, so it’s all kinds of weapons. But we have not discussed in detail yesterday with the president. This is really being worked through with the Pentagon, by the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, together with the Ukrainians,” Mark Rutte said after meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

On Monday, Trump’s NATO envoy Matt Whitaker said the immediate focus on shipping weapons to Ukraine was on defensive systems, like the Patriot missile batteries. But he didn’t rule out providing offensive weapons.

“All weapons are both offensive and defensive,” he said. “Obviously an air defense system is important and critical for the situation, but at the same time we’re not taking anything off the table.”

At the end of his term, President Joe Biden allowed shipments of powerful long-range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles to Ukraine for use inside Russia, though those weapons would not be able to reach the two cities Trump questioned Zelensky about in his phone call.

Trump called the move “stupid” and a “big mistake,” and questioned why he wasn’t consulted as he was preparing to take office.

Ukraine has also previously requested — but not yet received – Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles, or JASSMs, which are fired from F-16 fighter jets. European nations have previously provided those jets to Ukraine.

For now, however, the priority appears to be getting Ukraine air defense systems — namely, the Patriot batteries that can intercept Russian ballistic missiles. Those products will be the first to enter the new weapons pipeline that Trump announced Monday involving European nations purchasing the products and then transferring them to Ukraine.

The weapons will be available to ship quickly from existing stockpiles in Europe, and will likely be backfilled by new purchases from the US by European nations.

“When it comes to ammunition and missiles, we will work on this from now on, every hour, making sure that the stuff gets into Ukraine. But of course, we know it’s not only Patriots,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Monday, citing other systems used to intercept cruise missiles as essential to Ukraine’s defenses.

“This is really discussing everything the US can still deliver without hurting the defense of the US itself,” he said.

This story has been updated with additional developments.



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