site.btaRomanian Union of Professional Journalists Protests Assault on Media Members Covering Bucharest Rally

The Union of Professional Journalists of Romania (UZPR) protested what it described as acts of aggression against several journalists during a public rally of supporters of former far-right presidential candidate Calin Georgescu, held in Bucharest on Friday, the Agerpres news agency reported.

The UZPR said in a statement that members of the media have come under increasingly frequent attacks from various sources, including some extremist politicians who have used unacceptable insults and threats against them. As an advocate of absolute freedom of the press, the UZPR cannot accept any acts of aggression against representatives of the mass communication media while they are practicing their profession, and firmly opposes all acts of violence, abuse, harassment and intimidation against journalists, the statement said.

Noting that Friday's assaults were committed "by public or private persons," the UZPR expressed its support for the authorities' response.

Agerpres quoted the press office of the General Directorate of Gendarmes as saying that a group of people walked up to the media area from where TV crews were covering the rally. The group voiced their dissatisfaction with the way some events were presented to the public opinion. Noticing signs of aggression and intimidation, the gendarmerie intervened and took measures as prescribed by the law. They identified and arrested two suspects.

Digi24 television reported that a 42-year-old man was remanded for 24 hours for vandalizing a media crew vehicle. Gendarmerie imposed fines totalling RON 32,000 (EUR 6,400) for various wrongdoings.

The private television channel reported a number of violent acts during the rally, some of them targeting its own journalists, with demonstrators throwing bottles of water or soft drinks and food. The journalists were booed and threatened all the time, Digi24 said.

In another reaction, the National Audiovisual Council of Romania (CNA) called on the authorities to better protect journalists. CNA President Valentin Jucan told Digi24 he has alerted the Ministry of Internal Affairs against attempts to undermine and destroy the values of freedom and democracy.

Several thousand supporters of Calin Georgescu gathered outside the Constitutional Court in Bucharest on Friday to protest against the annulment of the first round of the presidential elections, in which the far-right candidate claimed a surprise victory by winning about 23% of the vote. The demonstrators called for the elections to continue in a second round.

The Constitutional Court explained its unprecedented decision to annul the first round with suspected foreign (Russian) interference in the elections.