Romanian president, PM condemn violence at shepherds’ protest in Bucharest
What began as a demonstration over animal-disease controls and blocked livestock exports descended into clashes outside the Romanian government headquarters.
Irina Marica · Journalist
· 3 min read
Romanian president Nicușor Dan and interim prime minister Ilie Bolojan condemned the violence that erupted during a shepherds’ protest in Bucharest’s Victorei Square on Tuesday, September 15. Demonstrators broke through police lines and protective barriers, while gendarmes used water cannons and tear gas to disperse violent groups.
“The violence we are seeing today in Victorei Square is extremely serious,” Dan said. “I firmly condemn such actions and any attempt to transform a legitimate protest into street fighting.”
Several hundred shepherds from across Romania began gathering in the square before 10:00 on Tuesday. Their main grievances concerned the authorities’ handling of sheep plague and sheep pox outbreaks, the culling of animals, and restrictions on sheep and goat exports imposed because of peste des petits ruminants.
The protest later escalated as some participants forced their way through the gendarmerie cordon and entered Paris Street, next to the government headquarters. Some protesters threw stones, pieces of pavement, sticks, and other objects at law enforcement officers.
Two gendarmerie vehicles were vandalized, while some people and properties unrelated to the demonstration were also affected, Bucharest Gendarmerie spokesperson Alex Iacob said, as reported by Agerpres. A total of 24 people required medical assistance.
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“The attacks and assaults, as well as acts of vandalism, are unacceptable and must be severely punished under the law,” president Nicușor Dan said. “No grievance can justify such behaviour or endangering other citizens in the street.”
He also condemned incitement to violence and accused “irresponsible politicians” of attempting to amplify social tensions and divert what he described as a legitimate protest based on legitimate grievances.
“In a democratic society, protest is a form of freedom, not intimidation,” he said. “Violence has never been and will never be a solution.”
In a separate reaction, prime minister Ilie Bolojan similarly defended the right to peaceful protest while rejecting attempts to turn demonstrations into confrontations.
