Acting IntMin Fifor calls on participants in 10 August protest to peacefully protest, with observing the law

Acting Interior Minister Mihai Fifor on Tuesday called on the participants in the rally announced on 10 August to protest peacefully and in compliance with the law, stressing that Romania is a European state, in which the citizen has the right to express freely. 

"I want to call on all those who want to protest, all those who will be in different parts of the Capital, to protest peacefully and never forget that we are a European state, a state in which the citizen has the right to express freely. We will never try to impede this thing, because it is a natural thing. If the citizens want to protest, let them do it. The issue that I want to underscore is that I ask all those who are to attend the rally to peacefully protest, yet observing the law and everything that such a protest means. We do not want in any form, I repeat, in no way, to see what we saw last year, on 10 August. But we will definitely discuss about these things until Saturday," Fifor stated at the Interior Ministry (MAI) headquarters. 

A call was sent out on social media by groups such as "We fight for Romania," "10 August 2019 - Our Revolution" for a protest to be carried out in Victoriei Square in Bucharest. 

At a protest dedicated to the Diaspora organised last year on 10 August 2018, that was attended by tens of thousands of protesters, violent incidents took place, which resulted with an intervention in force of the Gendarmerie for the evacuation of the Victoriei Square. Hundreds of people were injured, with an investigation being opened regarding the manner in which law enforcement intervened following several criminal complaints.