Civil society groups urge Romanian authorities to allow Oradea Pride march

A coalition of civil society organisations has called on Romanian authorities to guarantee the right to peaceful assembly by allowing the Oradea Pride March 2026 to take place on 25 July.

In a joint statement, the signatories expressed solidarity with local organiser ARK Oradea and the city’s LGBTQ+ community, urging both local and national authorities to uphold the rights protected by Romania’s Constitution, the European Convention on Human Rights and European Union law.

The groups said they were concerned by reports that local authorities intend to reject all routes proposed for the march, despite organisers submitting their notification within the legal deadline and putting forward more than 100 possible route options.

According to the statement, authorities have suggested a static gathering point instead of a parade route. However, the organisations argue that such an arrangement cannot replace the right to organise a public march and does not provide a genuine alternative to exercising freedom of assembly.

The appeal comes after four consecutive years in which the Oradea Pride March has been unable to take place. The signatories said the repeated failure to authorise the event can no longer be explained by administrative or logistical challenges alone.

“After four consecutive years in which the Pride March has not been able to take place, this can no longer be a matter of administrative or logistical difficulties,” the statement said. “The fact that the same outcome is reached year after year points to the existence of a practice that prevents the effective exercise of freedom of assembly.”

The organisations stressed that Pride marches are not solely events for the LGBTQ+ community, but represent the exercise of fundamental democratic rights including freedom of assembly, freedom of expression and participation in public life.

They warned that repeatedly restricting such events raises wider concerns about civic freedoms and democratic standards. “When an authority constantly prevents a community from assembling peacefully, a principle that concerns all citizens is affected,” the statement said.

The signatories also linked restrictions on Pride events elsewhere in Europe to concerns about democratic backsliding and weakening respect for the rule of law. They warned that Oradea risks becoming, after Budapest, one of the few cities in the European Union where authorities repeatedly block a Pride march.

“Such a precedent is incompatible with the values on which the European Union is founded: human dignity, freedom, equality, democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights,” the organisations said.

The statement further argued that religious freedom should not be used as grounds to restrict the peaceful assembly and expression rights of others, saying that all fundamental rights must coexist and enjoy equal protection in a democratic society.

The groups emphasised that the Oradea Pride March is not intended to limit anyone’s rights and that organisers are seeking only the same treatment afforded to other public assemblies in the city.

They called on the Mayor of Oradea, the municipal commission responsible for authorising public gatherings and other relevant institutions to approve a route that allows the march to proceed safely and effectively. They also urged Romania’s central authorities to monitor the situation and ensure that fundamental rights are respected throughout the country.

“Protecting freedom of assembly in Oradea means protecting democracy in Romania,” the statement concluded. “When the freedom of one community is repeatedly restricted, the freedoms of all are affected.”

The full list of organisations backing the statement is available on the ILGA-Europe website: Joint statement of solidarity with Oradea Pride.