Hundreds injured as Romanians protest
MORE than 200 people were reportedly injured during violent clashes in Romania last night as tens of thousands of anti-corruption protesters were tear gassed and pepper sprayed by police.
Some 50,000 people were calling on the Left-wing government to resign, with many expatriates returning home to Bucharest with the sole purpose of displaying their anger at officials.
The crowds in Bucharest, the country’s capital, chanted “resign” and “thieves” as they assembled in a central square outside the main government building.
Hundreds of the protesters tried to break through the police cordon, and officers in riot gear responded with tear gas and pepper spray, forcing the demonstrators back. Reports last night suggested as many as 247 people were injured, including more than 100 requiring medical attention after inhaling tear gas.
Meanwhile 10 police officers were injured by hurled stones and bottles, the emergency services said.
Last month Klaus Iohannis, the Romanian president, sacked top anti-graft prosecutor Laura Codruţa Kövesi, who was considered a symbol of the fight against graft in one of the EU’S most corruption-plagued members.
With Ms Kövesi at the helm, the Anti-corruption Prosecutor’s Office (DNA) had led a crackdown on corruption among local and national elected officials in recent years, earning accusations of abuse of power and the enmity of many in Romania’s political class.