HUNGARY’S parliament has passed an amendment to the constitution allowing the government to ban public LGBT events.

The amendment, which required a two-thirds majority, was approved on Monday, with 140 votes in favour and 21 against. It was proposed by the ruling Fidesz-KDNP coalition led by far-right Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Ahead of the vote, the final test for the amendment, opposition politicians and other protesters attempted to block the entrance to a parking garage at the parliament. Police physically removed the demonstrators, who had used zip ties to bind themselves together.

The amendment declares that children’s rights to moral, physical and spiritual development supersede any right other than the right to life. Hungary’s child protection legislation prohibits the “depiction or promotion” of homosexuality to minors.

The amendment codifies a law fast-tracked through parliament in March that bans public events by LGBT communities, including the Budapest Pride celebration that draws thousands of people every year.

That legislation also allows authorities to use facial recognition tools to identify people attending prohibited events, who can face fines of up to 200,000 Hungarian forints (£420).

David Bedo, an MP with the opposition Momentum party who participated in the attempted blockade, said before the vote that, for the past 15 years, Mr Orban and Fidesz “have been dismantling democracy and the rule of law and, in the past two or three months, we see that this process has been sped up.”

Critics say the measures are being used to distract attention from social and economic problems and mobilise Mr Orban’s right-wing supporters before elections.

The new amendment also states that the constitution recognises two sexes, male and female, an expansion of an earlier amendment prohibiting same-sex adoption by stating that a mother is a woman and a father is a man.

This provides a constitutional basis for opposition to official recognition of trans and intersex individuals.