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Farmers, transporters protests are politcally hijacked, says Bucharest prefect
The protests of farmers and transporters are politically hijacked, this is not the time "for certain demands to be instrumented by an extremist party", said the Bucharest prefect, Rares Hopinca, for the private broadcaster Digi24, after the president of the Alliance for the Union of Romania (AUR), George Simion, arrived on Thursday evening in Bucharest's neighbouring Chiajna commune, where farmers and transporters who wanted to protest in Bucharest were located.
Rares Hopinca added that the right to protest is regulated by the Constitution and defended by the Romanian state, but everyone must respect the law and pointed out that it is necessary to obtain an authorization, meaning that an application must be submitted to the City Hall.
The general mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan, told the private broadcaster Realitatea Plus on Thursday night that he authorized all protests, including those against him, but was not consulted either officially or unofficially about farmers and transporters.
"The mayor of Bucharest has the power to authorize protests. I authorized all protests, including those that were against me and there were about 20-30 (...). In my opinion, it is their right to protest," Nicusor Dan said.
As for the fences that were put in Victoria Square, in front of the Government venue, the Bucharest mayor replied that they are the ones usually put up by the Gendarmerie to separate the demonstrators.
Interior minister Catalin Predoiu said on Thursday evening for the Digi24 private broadcaster, regarding the protest of transporters and farmers, who were stopped from entering Bucharest, that the police forces "do nothing but respect the law".
As for the presence at the protest of AUR leader George Simion, Predoiu replied that Simion politicizes the protest and even does disservices to those who came out to express these demands.
Senator Diana Sosoaca, former AUR senator, currently a senator of the SOS Romania party, arrived on Thursday evening in Chiajna, trying to convince the law enforcement representatives to allow protesters to continue their journey to Bucharest.
The president of AUR, George Simion, arrived on Thursday evening in Chiajna, to talk to representatives of the protesters. He claimed that the police forces committed an abuse by blocking carriers in Chiajna, stating that it is people's right to protest.
"It is their right to protest, protests have been organized with transporters, protests with tractors have been organized. We will also be in Victoria Square, at this moment an abuse has been committed, people are blocked and are not allowed to protest. I am here to make sure that the Gendarmerie lets them pass and does not ask for the ID cards of those in Victoria Square. I will make sure you leave them with the vehicles they came with," Simion said.
