The parade, scheduled for July 5, had been banned Wednesday by BRFK chief Gabor Toth, who said it would block major city routes.
Some 15 gay organizations signed a protest petition against Toth's decision, saying that the parade planned to follow the same route as in earlier years and it would not cause such a significant obstruction as to justify the ban.
At a time of frequent attacks against minorities, an event like the parade should be supported by all democrats, said Budapest Mayor Gabor Demszky, adding that he would personally join the march.
Calling the ban "unacceptable," member of European Parliament and the governing Socialist Party, Katalin Levai, said the ban would have deprived a significant minority to represent itself.
The Hungarian Helsinki Committee said in a statement that the ban was neither legitimate nor constitutional, and voiced concern at the police's preference for traffic regulation over ensuring fundamental rights.
New Generation, the youth arm of the Alliance of Liberal Democrats (SZDSZ) party, said Toth's attempt to ban the event using traffic difficulties as an excuse was "unacceptable."
"The police must not deprive gay people of their fundamental rights for fear of possible incidents triggered by the extreme right," New Generation chairman Andras Lederer said in front of the police headquarters Thursday.



