Dozens protested on December 21 at the Parliament Palace in Bucharest against a legislative initiative to extend the use of the Covid-19 pass to the workplace. (Photo by Octav Ganea/ Inquam Photos)

Radical party AUR previously announced the protest would be held. 

Some protesters managed to enter the Senate’s courtyard, before the security and protection service SPP blocked the access to prevent protesters from entering the building, G4media.ro reported.

Gigel Știrbu, an MP of the National Liberal Party (PNL), told Digi24 that several cars in the Senate’s courtyard were defaced with graffiti. 

In a press conference after the event, AUR leader George Simion said similar protests against the Covid-19 pass would take place in the coming days. He called for sanctions for those responsible for today’s incidents, Libertatea reported.

In October, the Covid-19 pass was introduced for access to restaurants, malls, non-essential shops, performance halls and cultural venues, among others, as the country was hit by the fourth wave of the pandemic and was struggling with record number of cases and hospital admissions. 

In a December 20 release, the Health Ministry explained the pass would be introduced after a three-week rise in the Covid-19 incidence rate. Once the incidence rate drops below 1, it would be scrapped.

Romania has the second-lowest vaccination rate in the EU, of 39.6%, according to the Vaccine Tracker of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

By December 20, 7,742,950 people were fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

(Photo: Octav Ganea/ Inquam Photos)

simona@romania-insider.com