Hundreds of thousands of people across Europe marched to celebrate Pride over the weekend, with some protesting a worsening situation in Hungary for the LGBT+ community, while others were arrested for disobeying bans on the celebration.

More than 200 LGBT+ rights marches were postponed or canceled due to the pandemic last year, according to the European Pride Organisers Association. In Paris and Rome thousands celebrated in the streets and on the Metro trains, with many abandoning social distancing for the day.

While many of the scenes this weekend were moments of joy, protesters also gathered in Pantin on the outskirts of Paris to protest a new law in Hungary that makes it illegal to distribute material in schools or broadcast on television that promotes homosexuality.

Some of the protesters chanted the slogan "Gay rights are human rights!" One of the people participating in the march, Marc Pauli, told Reuters: "No country in the world, no part of the world should criminalize homosexuality. Its representation shouldn't be banned. It's absurd."

On the same day, police in Istanbul threw tear gas at protesters for participating in a Pride parade. And around 20 people were arrested, including a journalist taking photographs for the news agency AFP.

The Istanbul governor's office had made it clear in advance that the marches had been banned amid concern for public order. Security in the city remains tight after a series of bombings blamed on Islamic State and Kurdish militants in recent months.

Authorities in Turkey have banned the event for several years.