About 1,500 people protested in the early hours of the morning near the Parliament Palace, mainly supporters of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), against the COVID green certificate and the restrictions imposed in the pandemic context.
According to AUR Chairman George Simion, the COVID green certificate is inefficient and unconstitutional, and the protest has been organised to say a firm no to those aberrant measures that don't solve the problem.
Approximately 100 persons among those who were protesting in the Izvor Park area have managed to enter Parliament's courtyard, according to some judiciary sources.
Bucharest Prefect Alexandra Vacaru called for the due observance of the directions of the Gendarmerie representatives, and the protesters to leave the outer area of the Palace of Parliament.
The head of the Bucharest Gendarmerie, Catalin Stegaroiu, said that "the gathering was peaceful and the situation was under control", after the protesters who entered the Senate courtyard were permanently under the surveillance of the gendarmes and no other incidents were recorded.
"(...) we had a group of 200-300 people who went into the Senate court, they were permanently under our surveillance. Subsequently, they left the Senate court at the guidance of the law enforcement forces," Catalin Stegaroiu said.
"Now, at this time, identifications are being made, evidence is being gathered about their action and I guarantee you that they will be sanctioned, as we have always done," the head of the Bucharest Gendarmerie said. Catalin Stegaroiu explained that the use of tear gas was due to a mistake and said that he had no information about people who were affected by the use of tear sprays.
According to him, there were "hundreds of gendarmes" on the spot and the situation "was permanently under control".
Regarding the people who protested in the courtyard of the Chamber of Deputies, the head of the Bucharest Gendarmerie said that they were introduced to that area with the cars of some parliamentarians.
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The U.S. Embassy in Romania confirmed Tuesday that a vehicle belonging to it was damaged during a protest at the Palace of Parliament.
"At this time, no further information is available," the diplomatic mission said.
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Interior Minister Lucian Bode said that the protests that took place at the Palace of Parliament against the green certificate at work are not related to free speech and the democratic game.
He claimed that no cars belonging to the diplomatic corps were vandalized.
Of the following protests, he said: "We are ready!"
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The president of Save Romania Union (USR), Dacian Ciolos, claimed that the state should, through its institutions, have ensured that a protest rally can be held in civilized conditions, adding that AUR leader George Simion is "a danger" for Romania. The USR leader criticized the way in which the Gendarmerie and the Ministry of Interior managed the situation generated by the protest at the Palace of Parliament.
Therefore, USR demands the resignation of Interior Minister Lucian Bode for the way in which the police acted at the protest organized by AUR in front of the Parliament Palace, a protest that had been announced. USR added that there is a problem related to the ability of the Government and the Interior Ministry to cope with "a predictable and announced situation".
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The president of the Senate, Florin Citu, says that he defends the right to protest, but stresses that it must be exercised peacefully and only within the limits of the Constitution.
"Attack on the health of Romanians! The violence and vandalism of the people who are in Parliament are putting at risk the Romanians who cannot protect themselves from COVID-19! That denotes pure selfishness. Vaccination and green certificate are the most effective weapons against the virus. Only in this way can we protect those who cannot defend themselves, those who are in serious condition due to COVID-19. As president of the Senate and as a staunch liberal, I defend the right to protest. But it must be exercised peacefully and only within the limits of the Constitution. The right to have a different opinion is a right that all Romanian citizens have, but the right to life prevails!" Citu wrote on Facebook on Tuesday.
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Unaffiliated Deputy George Ionescu said that, on Tuesday, his car was vandalized in the courtyard of the Parliament Palace, although he never supported the green certificate.
"I have never supported the green certificate as a limitation of the right to work, even more so now, when more and more studies show that even those vaccinated with the full scheme can be carriers of the virus and can still spread it. As a matter of principle, I believe that a document like the green certificate is an anomaly in a democracy, even in this atypical context of a large-scale health crisis, but I do not want to go into such details now," the unaffiliated MP wrote on his Facebook page.AGERPRES
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