On 12 January 2012, a series of street protests^[1] broke out in Romania, against health reforms promoted by the second Government of Prime Minister Emil Boc and supported by President Traian Băsescu, by launching a public debate regarding the bill of health. Several people were hurt in the violence including protesters and members of Gendarmerie.^[2]

The president's reaction was to retire to a mountain resort after suggesting the government to give up the present healthcare reform and has not been heard of since then. Prime-Minister Boc has visited the constable injured on the night of January 14th 2012.

Reason of demostrations

The main reason for leaving the street was solidarity with the founder of Mobile Service Emergency Resuscitation and Extrication (SMURD), Raed Arafat, who did not agree with the new healthcare law project and was therefore compelled to resign from his position as adviser on emergency medicine issues. President Traian Basescu subsequently engaged in a campaign intended to ruin Raed Arafat's image, but he did not succeed as Arafat's public image and trust is that of a professional and specialist in his field, as it was proven by the intense social protest movements following this incident.

The new law was vague enough to allow the private elements to invade and create a monopoly not only for emergency medicine issues and most likely serve to the interests of occult forces.

Bucharest

On January 13, in Bucharest, people gathered at around 18.00 in University Square, to support Raed Arafat. At around 19:00 local time, protesters left from the University Square towards the Cotroceni Palace. The number of demonstrators increased, so that at the Presidential Administration gathered about 1000 people.

On 14 January, protests in Bucharest degenerated in many violent events, more people getting injured. The demonstrators threw stones, firecrackers and vandalized with rubbish bins. Gendarmerie and police officers had to intervene using tear gas.

On 15 January, Romanians continued to take to the streets in large numbers demanding the resignation of president Băsescu and of the Boc government. Since the early hours of the day, protesters gathered again in the squares of Romania's main cities shouting and fluttering Romanian flags cut in the middle, the symbol of the 1989 Romanian Revolution, and urging authorities for early elections. The Opposition political alliance, USL demanded an extraordinary plenary meeting of the Parliament of Romania to discuss the ongoing situation.

During the night, massive and violent confrontations occurred between Gendarmerie officers and some groups of protesters. The officers isolated the violent groups from the rest of the peaceful manifestations pushing them from University Square towards Unity Square where the two blocks confronted,with protesters throwing rocks,fireworks and the officers shooting tear gas. The situation continues to aggravate while large numbers of people seeing the events that happen in Bucharest take to the streets and demand the resignation of the president and his Government. After days of increasing protests throwout Romania there is no official statements from either the Presidency or Government officials.

Other cities

Protesters start anti-government rallies, on Saturday 13 January 2012, also in major cities like Constanța, Timișoara, Craiova, Cluj-Napoca and in other cities across Romania.

References

External links

• Protest in Bucharest against austerity measures turns violent
• Riot escalates downtown Bucharest and across Romania after football supporters join protest
• Police, protesters clash in Bucharest