Thousands of people protested this evening in the square in front of the University of Bucharest. They waved Romanian flags and chanted “National Unity“, “Freedom“, “Down with the government“, “Calin Georgescu President“, “Bring back the second round of elections“, “Thieves“.
One of the demonstrators carried the flag of the United States, another held a Dacian wolf with the body of a snake made of wood. Among the crowd were two priests with crosses and icons, BTA saw on site. Posters with the inscription “Down with Bolozhan“, “Trump. Nicușor Dan is a friend of Nicolas Maduro“.
The action, which took place under extremely heavy police presence, was organized by MEP Claudiu Turziu and founder of the new party “Conservative Action“. Days before it took place, the politician indicated that “the exclusive theme of the demonstration is the public revolt against the consequences caused by the promulgation of the Vexler Law, which aims to erase heroes, geniuses and saints of the Romanian nation from the collective memory“.
Romanian media recall that the law was initiated by MP Silviu Vexler, who is the president of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania, and that President Nicușor Dan also had reservations about the normative act. It prohibits fascist, legionary, racist and xenophobic organizations, symbols and actions, and the promotion of the cult of persons guilty of committing crimes of genocide against humanity and war crimes.
“Today we gathered first of all to stop the implementation of the law - the most serious attack in the last 35 years against the Romanian people. We did not gather here to hold a political or election rally, we wanted a civil protest, that is why, as you can see, the party signs are missing. This law is not a cause, but an effect. An effect of the absence of the state. The fact that we no longer have a state to express the will of the Romanian people made this law possible, which was adopted with a parliamentary majority - the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, the Union for the Salvation of Romania and the Democratic Union of Hungarians (the ruling coalition - ed.)“, Claudiu Turziu said from the podium.
Boots followed. The crowd chanted “traitors“. Claudiu Turziu insisted that the Vexler law must be repealed.
“We are many and through pressure, in parliament, on the street and through legislation, we will make them do what is necessary. We also want explanations about how the presidential elections in 2024 were taken away from us - by force, illegally. We want to be told the truth“, the MEP also commented.
Despite the request and promise that today's protest is because of the Vexler law, Claudiu Turziu also touched on other topics related to Romania's domestic and foreign policy.
“I know that you are also concerned about other problems - taxes after taxes, super-increased fees, frozen salaries, frozen pensions. From the governments that have ruled for the last five years. They robbed us, they brought us to beggar's stick. I know that today there are farmers here who do not agree with Mercosur, workers who do not have bread on the table. We cannot ask a country that does not exist to solve these problems“, said the MEP and added:
“Our country has been replaced by a system of national plunder, which is led by local and international gangs, a transnational mafia that has turned Romania into a terrain for the extraction of resources – from natural to human. How long has this mafia been betraying our factories and plants, land and water, forests, gas and oil. They also took our bread from the table. We have suffered. But we can no longer“.
The protest was also supported by supporters of the nationalist Alliance for the Unification of Romanians and its leader Gheorghe Simion, who also took the podium.
“We are also protesting we chant against those who try to restore the dictatorship and steal our rights, against those who canceled the elections, against those who trample on the opposition represented by the Romanian people“, Simion said.
He asked the Federation of Jewish Communities and all minorities in Romania “to distance themselves from the gesture made by Silviu Vexler“ and to be on the side of the Romanian people.
“I demand respect for democracy in Romania and a return to the second round of elections. I demand an end to the taxes and duties that bring our people to their knees every day. This is what we will demand together from our brothers and sisters. To the government, tonight“, Simion added.
Together with journalist Anca Alexandrescu, who was a candidate for mayor of Bucharest, and with a large part of the demonstrators, the leader of the AUR headed to Victoria Square. The group carried a large white banner with the inscription “Eminescu to judge us“. And at this hour, over 10,000 people are protesting in front of the government building in Bucharest, despite the sub-zero temperatures. They are chanting against the austerity measures imposed by Ilie Bologan and Nicuşor Dan.
MEP Claudiu Tarziu did not join the second protest. With another part of the demonstrators, he reached the Athenaeum building, where he laid flowers in front of the monument to Mihai Eminescu. Today, Romania honors its most famous and beloved poet and celebrates its culture.