Looking back at 2015: Colectiv, the Romanian tragedy that has changed laws and people

Friday, October 30, 2015. A day that ended in fear, pain, and confusion. A day that will remain in Romanians’ memory as the day when the tragedy at Colectiv club took place. The day in which people died, others started fighting for their lives, while the rest started fighting for a better country. It was a regular Friday night when Romania was shaken by a great tragedy. Some 400 young people went to Colectiv club in Bucharest on the evening of October 30, 2015, just to have fun. Colectiv was one of the most well-known clubs in Bucharest and Romanian band Goodbye to Gravity was releasing a new album, so the club was quite crowded. It was around 22:30 when the tragedy took place. A fire caught the club and killed 27 people that night while injuring many more. However, the number of those who have lost their lives more than doubled in the coming period, reaching 63 on December 21. The fire, which apparently started from some on-stage fireworks, quickly spread from one of the clubs’ pillars to the ceiling, both of them being covered with a type of soundproofing sponge. Prosecutors say that the tragedy happened because the number of people inside the club exceeded the club’s legal limit, given that the location didn’t have several emergency exits. A large number of people reacted after the incident and wanted to help the victims with whatever they could. More than 1,500 people donated blood in Bucharest in one weekend, which was a record for Romania. Employees in blood transfusion centers said the only time they saw so many people queuing up to donate blood was at the Romanian Revolution in 1989. It was the first sign that the Romanians started to wake up and realize how big the tragedy is. It wasn’t long until they started taking the streets, asking for a better country, better laws, and a new Government. And the protests haven’t stopped for nine days, although Victor Ponta resigned from the position of Prime Ministeron November 4, soon after the people starting taking the streets. It was a sign that Romanians want a bigger change for their country. Following consultations with President Klaus Iohannis and the civil society, the former European Commissioner Dacian Ciolos was appointed to lead a new Government of technocrats