The Romanians are planning yet another protest for Friday, August 17, to mark one week since the diaspora protest organized on August 10, which ended in violence after the riot police used tear gas and water cannons to clear the Victoriei Square in Bucharest.

“According to the official data of August 11, the order to clear the square was given at 23:11, and 452 people needed medical care. These are added to those who have developed later symptoms and sought medical help in the coming days. We’ll meet at 22:45 to silently commemorate the moment when the repression against the protesters began. There has to be at least 452 people wearing masks (surgical or for painting), and we must remind the world that democracy dies in Romania in gas and canes,” reads the presentation of the Facebook event dedicated to the protest scheduled for Friday evening.

The number 452 refers to the total number of people injured during the violent incidents at the August 10 protest in Bucharest, which was also attended by Romanians from abroad, who returned to the country for this street protest. They demanded the resignation of prime minister Viorica Dancila and chanted slogans against the ruling party PSD.

Prosecutors are currently investigating the incidents at the August 10 protest, while the protesters filed more than 200 criminal complaints against the Romanian Gendarmerie so far.

Meanwhile, president Klaus Iohannis and the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) have been blaming each other for the violent incidents at the diaspora protest. While the president said that the brutal intervention of the riot police against the peaceful protesters in Victoriei Square should have resulted in at least one resignation, PSD accused Iohannis of misinforming and manipulating the public opinion. The party said the president is mainly responsible for the current state of the Romanian society and that he has been encouraging “anarchic protests” even by endorsing obscene messages against the ruling party, which has led to “collective psychosis and maximum outrage”.

Moreover, prime minister Viorica Dancila wrote a letter to European Commission president jean-Claude Juncker and prime vice president Frans Timmermans complaining that the August 10 protest in Bucharest was an attempt to remove her cabinet by violent means, according to the local media.

Meanwhile, on August 16, amid many accusations of brutality against the Romanian Gendarmerie, the institution’s representatives issued the first official reactions. The institution also posted a video on its Facebook page showing that law enforcement troops in other countries operate similarly.

Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea)