The Romanian anti-communist revolution 33 years on

The Romanians took to the streets 33 years ago to denounce the communist regime led by dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. The first protests began in Timisoara, western Romania, where people gathered in front of the house of the Hungarian reformed pastor Laszlo Tokes whom the communist authorities wanted to evict. On December 16th 1989 people of Timisoara shouted 'Down with Ceausescu' and on December 20th, they proclaimed Timisoara the first city free of communism in Romania.

The protest frightened the communist dictator who on December 21st summoned a big meeting in Bucharest in an attempt to appease the population and maintain its regime. But what was supposed to be a big quiet meeting of supporting the dictatorship, like many he had staged until that time, eventually turned into a revolt, which expanded to other cities all over the country.  

Over one thousand people lost their lives in the clashes between the protesters and the riot police while three thousand people were wounded in Romania, the only country in the communist bloc, where the change of the regime ended up in bloodshed.

Commemoration events have these days been held all over the country in the memory of those who died for freedom. Ceremonies have been held and wreaths of flowers have been laid at various monuments of the revolution heroes. Eye witnesses of the revolution and descendants of the victims prayed and laid flowers in the cities, which saw the bloodiest events.

"Let us keep the memory of the 1989 heroes alive and carry on the ideals they fought for", Romania's president Klaus Iohannis said while attending a wreath laying ceremony held at the University Square in Bucharest, a symbolic place of the revolution.  

"To the martyrs of the Romanian Revolution and all those who suffered back in the communist dictatorship we owe the freedom we are enjoying today and we have to thank them through our taking care of Romania and through the strengthening of the democratic process", the country's Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca says in his message.   

In turn, Romanian senators kept a moment of silence on Wednesday.

"We are now in the 33rd year of our liberty. In December 1989 with huge sacrifices, the Romanians fought for their dose of liberty, for the human rights observance for the right of free movement outside the country's border. In the last days of 1989 the Romanians hoped their lives would change radically in as shorter time as possible," say the Social-Democrats

 Attending the events in Timisoara devoted to the Romanian anti-communist Revolution, the senate president the Liberal Alina Gorghiu has underlined the fact that the city certainly proved to be an example for the entire country 33 years ago and that the revolution paved the way for Romania's European and NATO aspirations.

Alina Gorghiu reminded the revolutionaries of December 1989 in Timisoara that their efforts and courage helped the country tremendously and urged them to get actively involved in the efforts of the Romanian society in this very difficult period of time and that everyone is needed in 2023, which is going to be a difficult year.

(bill)