Romanian leadership targeted by protesters
Hundreds injured in Bucharest clash
BUCHAREST, Romania — Thousands of Romanians staged another anti-government protest Saturday, a day after police dispersed protesters using tear gas and water cannons.
At least 455 people, including three dozen riot police, needed medical treatment after Friday’s clash. An estimated 100,000 people had gathered throughout the day Friday in Bucharest’s Victory Square, with tens of thousands protesting in other cities across the country.
Critics say Romania has lost ground in fighting corruption since the ruling Social Democratic Party assumed power in 2016. Protesters say legislative changes are weakening the rule of law and effectively decriminalizing low-level corruption, and they are urging the government to resign and call a new election.
“We want democracy and laws that defend citizens, not politicians,” said Moise Maracine, 33, who flew from Britain, where he lives and owns a business.
Protesters carrying Romanian, European Union and other flags rallied Saturday outside government offices in Bucharest, the capital, the same place where the protest Friday ended in violence.
“Have no fear! Romanians will rise up!” they yelled. Police placed traffic restrictions in the area.
Earlier Saturday, Romanian riot police defended their use of force at the protest Friday night in which 70 people, including 11 riot police, had to be taken to the hospital.
Marius Militaru, a spokesman for Romania’s riot police, said police are pursuing charges against eight people for the violence.
Militaru said officers were ordered by Bucharest city officials to evacuate Victory Square late Friday after tens of thousands of people joined the hourslong protest in front of government offices.
Another police spokesman, Georgian Enache, described the encounter as “legitimate state violence,” saying protesters had been warned several times to leave the square and had lobbed rocks, bottles and smoke bombs at riot police.
Some people suffered head and other injuries, while others were overcome by tear gas, authorities said.
Interior Minister Carmen Dan said the riot police hadn’t “intervened against peaceful protesters, but against dangerous hooligans who attacked the state’s authority.”
But President Klaus Iohannis, a critic of the left-wing government, condemned “the brutal intervention of riot police” in a statement on Facebook on Friday night.
“Trying to break people’s will through a violent reaction of law enforcement is a reprehensible solution,” Iohannis wrote.
Three journalists said they were also subjected to police violence.
Austrian Broadcasting Corp., Austria’s public broadcaster, said Saturday that a cameraman covering the protest was hit by police with truncheons and the TV presenter with him was shoved up against a wall. A journalist filming the rally for Romania’s Hotnews website said he was kicked and shoved by riot police.
Isabela Conduruta, a 45-year-old Romanian who’s worked as a cleaner for 12 years in Germany, explained why she joined Saturday’s protest.
“We want to return to Romania, but there’s too much corruption and the health care is dismal,” she told The Associated Press.
Anti-government demonstrations have become a regular occurrence in Romania, but in recent months numbers have dropped significantly as fatigue has set in. Friday’s protests were the largest in months.