Page 49 - bne_Magazine_September_2018

bne September 2018 Southeast Europe I 49
front of the government headquarters. The crowd threw plastic water bottles and other objects back at them.
Tear gas was frequently used during the protest and it seemed to be launched ran- domly into the crowd, which was mainly peaceful, asking for the government’s
their tear gas spraying and use of water cannons. Images broadcast by local television channels show peaceful people being hit by riot police.
“They are trying to make us terribly mad by continuously spraying tear gas at us for no reason. We are peaceful, there are
an explanation of the way the events were managed.
While Romania has been the scene of continuous anti-governmental protests in the past one and a half years, apart a small violent incident in February last year they were all characterised
by a peaceful atmosphere.
The numerous violent incidents between groups of protesters and the riot police raised speculation there were provocateurs among the crowd. Some protesters also accused the riot police
of provoking the crowds.
Local television showed a fierce attack against two members of the gendar- merie, who had become separated from their group. The two gendarmes were eventually saved by a group of protesters who made a human shield around them and took them out of the crowd. During the fight, a gun belonging to one of the two was stolen, a spokesman for the gendarmerie said a news conference
on August 11.
Representatives of the riot police said that as violent acts intensified, they intervened in force to dissipate some compact violent groups in the crowd. 33 people were taken to police stations and eight criminal cases were opened.
“They are trying to make us terribly mad by continuously spraying tear gas at us for no reason. We are peaceful, there are kids here and they don’t care”
resignation and chanting slogans against the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) such as “PSD, the red plague” and “F** PSD”. Hit by the irritating smell, the crowds were forced backwards, only to surge forward again moments later after the gas had dissipated.
Symbolic moments such as the illumi- nation of the square with the help of mobile phones were interrupted by the noise made by the gas fired at the crowd. The crowds responded immediately, chanting “We are not leaving.”
Later in the evening there were more violent scenes. Riot police intensified
kids here and they don’t care. I am afraid this is just a mere step in their drive to defeat those who oppose them, first
step to dictatorship,” another protester told bne IntelliNews.
The shocking incidents in Bucharest were condemned by the Romanian president who wrote on Facebook that “violence is not accepted, irrespective of political views.”
“An attempt to defeat the will of the people through a violent reaction of
law enforcement is a reprehensible solution,” Iohannis wrote, adding that the interior minister has to urgently give
Five Slovenian parties nominate ex-comedien Sarec for prime minister
bne IntelliNews
Five Slovenian parties led by the List of Marjan Sarec (LMS) nomi- nated its founder Marjan Sarec as the next Slovenian prime minister on August 8.
The parliament is due to vote on the nomination on August 17. However, it’s still not clear whether Sarec will be able
to command a majority. The five parties behind him have 43 MPs – three short of the 46 needed in the 90-seat parliament. While he is hoping to form a majority government backed by (but not including) the Slovenian Left (Levica), it is by no means certain that the leftwing party’s MPs will support him.
Sarec, a former journalist and come- dian, has been mayor of the small Slo- venian town of Kamnik since 2010. The political novice unexpectedly forced incumbent Borut Pahor to a second round in the October 22 presidential elections. He scored a second triumph in the June 3 parliamentary election when his LMS won the second largest
www.bne.eu