The man who threw the LGBTQ Pride flags from Budapest’s Elizabeth Bridge into the Danube one by one on Sunday has been identified and detained. The Mayor’s Office, led by Gergely Karácsony, had filed a complaint in the case on suspicion of intentional vandalism.
When contacted about the state of the investigation, the Budapest Police Headquarters said in a statement that investigative work had led them to identify the alleged perpetrator: a 58-year-old man from Mogyoród, who was arrested at his home on the evening of June 22, 2026.
The man admitted to the act and is now saying he is proud of his act and did not need a lawyer during questioning.
“I am proud of what I have done and would do the same tomorrow. I didn’t even ask for a lawyer during the police interrogation. I didn’t need one, because I was just doing what my personal beliefs dictated,” he said.
🇭🇺🏳️🌈LGBT Pride flags were ripped down from the famed Elizabeth Bridge in Budapest and tossed in the river one by one.
The flags were put up right before a Pride Parade scheduled for June 27 in the Hungarian city.
Many conservatives have been angered over the flags, which… pic.twitter.com/NJbRl6FlHC
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) June 22, 2026He added: “Hungary is a Christian state with a thousand-year history. Gays don’t bother me, but don’t force the sight of their love on me or anyone else. I am convinced that I have not committed a crime; I believe that rainbow flags have no place on the Elizabeth Bridge.”
The 58-year-old man, who asked not to be named, gave an interview to a news portal, saying he had waited for police at the gate of his country house on Monday night. He believes Pride flags have no place either on the Elizabeth Bridge or on the wall of City Hall, Hungarian outlet Index reports.
“I decided to go into town and take down those flags for the sake of my kids and our children’s future. My intention was not to vandalize. I think the Hungarian flag should have been in that place. When I threw the flag into the water, I made sure not to endanger ship traffic,” said the man from Mogyoród, who drove to Budapest and parked beneath the Elizabeth Bridge.
Police reportedly identified him by his license plate. He said that an hour later he was taken to the District V police station on Szalay Street, from which he was released after questioning.
The flags had been installed on the bridge by the capital’s leadership and disappeared on Sunday, with a perpetrator caught on video tossing them into the river.
A politician of the right-wing Our Homeland party (Mi Hazánk), Előd Novák, announced on Monday that he would cover any “fine for removing the rainbow rags.” In response, Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony said that no matter what Novák attempts, the rainbow flags would still be flying on the Elizabeth Bridge during the upcoming Pride march.
“We will put these flags back up for Pride. If they are taken down, we will put them back again, and then they will just have to put up with it,” Karácsony said.
