Protests Against Romanian Gendarmerie Announced For National Day Festivities

A Facebook event titled “Ban for the Romanian Gendarmerie’s parade on December 1, 2018” was created by a popular football ultras magazine, with fans announcing that they will turn their back and jeer Gendarmerie forces if they take part in the Alba Iulia or Bucharest military parades.

The magazine says that this is a reaction to continued abuse by the Gendarmerie in Romania’s post-communist era, remind of violent interventions during the June 1990 Mineriad, January 2012 protest and the anti-government rally on August 10 this year.

“The Romanian Gendarmerie has no business being part of the National Day military parade. In this anniversary year, seeing the gendarmes parade would just be another humiliation of the Romanian people. If the Romanian Gendarmerie will not have the decency to withdraw from December 1 parades, both in Alba Iulia and Bucharest, we invite you to offer them what they deserve or turn your backs to their units,” reads the event’s description.

This follows earlier event scheduled a month ago, where anti-government and activist group called for a similar protest against abuses made by gendarmes during the August 10 rally.

Several politicians and the institution itself heavily criticized the announced protests, with the Gendarmerie stating last week that whoever takes part in the events “is disqualified from being a Romanian”.

Alba Iulia Mayor Mircea Hava stated two weeks ago that those who want to protest during National Day festivities “must have a very small and black soul” and are “very petty”.

The Romanian Gendarmerie is set to take part in National Day parades in Alba Iulia and Bucharest, as it did in the past years.

More than 500 people required medical assistance following clashes between protesters and gendarmes at an anti-government rally in Bucharest, held on August 10. Military prosecutors are currently investigating the Gendarmerie's intervention, with its top-level commanders indicted under the suspicion of abuse of office and forging orders, among other charges.

 

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