In the lead-up to this year’s Pride parade in Budapest, the Hungarian capital, Orban banned the festivities and threatened anybody who showed up with a $600 fine, as well as possible imprisonment for organizers. The announced crackdown was the wannabe despot’s latest broadside in his attacks against the Eastern European nation’s LGBTQ+ community.

Politically, Orban’s inability to stop Pride from going ahead risks projecting weakness at a time when his Fidesz party is trailing in the polls. However, a heavy-handed police response could also deepen public dissatisfaction and further undermine his support.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets for Budapest Pride on Saturday in defiance of attempts by the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to ban the event. Dozens of members of the European Parliament joined the procession in support of the event in the Hungarian capital as the 30th annual event went ahead despite moves by the government to push back against LGBTQ+ rights.