Protesters, Well-Wishers Banned from Budapest Gay Rights March

More than 2,000 people took part in Budapest's Gay Dignity march Saturday, with a massive security detail keeping anticipated protesters at bay.

In fact, according to U.K. Gay News, there wasn't a protester in sight in the Hungarian capital -- security managed to keep away anyone hoping to disrupt the march.

But with security comes a price -- U.K. Gay News also reports there were no well-wishers along the march route. Onlookers were kept at least a block away from the march for safety reasons.

From U.K. Gay News: So the Gay Dignity march became more of a TV event, as far as any campaigning directly to the public for LGBT rights is concerned. And TV news later in the day covered the march in considerable depth.

Prior to the march, participants were addressed by representatives of the International Lesbian and Gay Association Europe.

"The reason we are here today is to let you know that you are not alone in your struggle for equality and respect ... and your struggle against violence and intimidation," Juris Lavrikovs, a Latvian who is now based in ILGA-Europe's Brussels headquarters, told marchers."Let's march with pride, dignity, and determination. Let's show Hungary and the whole of Europe that violence, threats, and intimidation will not defeat us."