Thousands demonstrate in Romania against coup d’etat
Date
1/16/2025 6:30:00 AM
(MENAFN) Thousands gathered in Bucharest on Sunday to protest the Romanian Constitutional Court’s decision to annul the results of the presidential election’s first round, which had seen independent candidate Calin Georgescu outpace all other contenders. Demonstrators expressed their discontent by waving Romanian flags, honking horns, and chanting slogans like "freedom" and "bring back the second round." Some carried portraits of Georgescu and religious icons, while others held signs reading "Democracy is not optional" and "We want free elections."
Organizers claimed over 100,000 participants in the protest, though police estimates were lower. The far-right leader George Simion called the court’s action a "coup d’état," demanding that elections be resumed, starting with a second round. The court’s annulment was based on ensuring the election’s legality, prompting Georgescu to assert that the people’s will should guide the democratic process.
Accusations of Moscow’s involvement in Georgescu’s campaign were dismissed by Russian officials as unfounded, while Georgescu himself criticized NATO and the EU, pledging to end Romania's military and political support for Ukraine. He has been vocal in opposing Romania’s role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, warning that NATO may be using the country as a staging ground for war.
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