Romanians Flood Streets as Cabinet Defies Protests Over Pardons
- Surprise decree quashes corruption probes into officials
- Demonstrators flood major cities demanding government resign
A demonstration against decrees to pardon corrupt politicians and decriminalise other offences, on Jan. 29.
Photographer: Andrei Pungovschi/AFP via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Romania’s president urged the government to reverse a surprise decision to quash corruption investigations into officials and annul some other convictions after the measures drew thousands of protesters into the streets of major cities.
About 12,000 people rallied in freezing temperatures late Tuesday in Bucharest, demanding the government step down. At least 8,000 gathered elsewhere in the eastern European nation. The cabinet earlier backed proposals that had sparked the biggest protests since the fall of communism. Some of the changes require parliamentary approval, while others have already been published in the official journal.