site.btaOver 100 People in Bucharest Participate in Protest against War

Over 100 people gathered in the square in front of the University of Bucharest on Saturday to take part in a demonstration mottoed “Protest Against War - We Say No to Romania’s Participation in the Imperialist War Launched by the US and Israel.” The demonstration was organized by three organizations: the Workers' Youth Bloc (Blocul Tineretului Muncitoresc), the Socialist Action Group (Grupul de Actiune Socialista), and the Red Bloc (Blocul Rosu). The participants condemned what they saw as a lack of transparency in the way the Supreme Council of National Defence made its decision to use national military bases in the context of the conflict in the Middle East.

“This decision was made behind closed doors by a few political figures, without public support, without our consent. It remains confidential and makes us directly vulnerable, turns the country into a potential target, and drags us into a conflict we do not want to be part of,” states the organizers’ position, distributed as leaflets to all attendees. “The Romanian government borrowed over EUR 16 billion under the SAFE programme to purchase military equipment under the pretext that it is for defence and security. The reality is that this approach steals money from the pockets of millions of working people and transfers it into the hands of capitalists in the military-industrial complex,” the document further states.

Saturday’s protest lasted more than two hours amid heavy police presence. Participants displayed more than 30 signs in the square in front of the university with messages such as: “Your wars, our bodies,” “Free and debt-free,” “Don’t spend public money for military purposes, ensure access to healthcare for the working class,” “Austerity kills.” They are adamant that what is happening demonstrates a lack of democracy and that the rich profit from wars.

“None of your wars are our wars,” “The war is entirely at our expense,” “We want hospitals, not arsenals,” “No cooperation with aggressor states,” “The US has ruined us, 10 lei for gas,” “Only a general strike will stop global crime,” “No military bases for bombing,” “You go to war,” the crowd chanted.

Some of the demonstrators waved Palestinian and Iranian flags.

Earlier in the week, similar protests took place in other Romanian cities such as Cluj and Timisoara. During the demonstrations, participants urged Romania to join the peace efforts initiated by countries such as Spain, which closed its airspace to US aircraft and refused to allow the use of its military bases in the conflict.

On March 11, the Romanian Parliament approved the United States’ request to temporarily deploy military forces and equipment in the country due to the war in Iran. At the time, President Nicușor Dan emphasized that this equipment was strictly for defensive purposes and would be deployed on the basis of a strategic partnership.

However, Iran reacted. The country’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghai, commented that if Romania made its bases available to the United States, this would be tantamount to participating in military aggression against Iran.

"Our support for the US regarding the conflict in the Middle East is not an offensive operation," Romanian Defence Minister Radu-Dinel Miruta noted at the time, while Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Cioiu assured that there were no direct threats from Iran.