Social Democrats start the offensive against protesters. Israel’s Embassy slams MP Bacalbasa’s comparison between Diaspora rally and Gaza Strip developments

PSD deputy Nicolae Bacalbasa told RFI on Wednesday that the gendarmes’ violence overuse during the August 10 protest is „perfectly explainable” from the human point of view, while stating that protesters who filed complaints at the Prosecutor’s Office must be sanctioned.

Asked what is his opinion about the gendarmes’ intervention during the Diaspora protest, Bacalbasa drew a parallel between the rally in Bucharest and the confrontations in Gaza Strip.

“For instance, I know that demonstrations have been carrying out at the border between Gaza and the State of Israel for four months, a border which is a eight-meter high wall. The Israeli border guards have shot 171 people and injured thousands until now in four months. I haven’t seen any violent reaction, to tell them that laws are not observed out there. Gendarmes in Romania have acted according to all legal norms,” he stated.

Bacalbasa also said that those who went to the protest with their children are irresponsible. He argued that “it has been known there will be a violent demonstration”.

The SocDem MP also said that those who filed complaints against the Gendarmerie must be „immediately sanctioned” for attending an illegal protest after 9 p.m. and for staying in the Victoriei Square despite the Gendarmerie’s „legal imperative warnings to immediately leave the area”.

Nicolae Bacalbaşa claimed the events on August 10 represented „a failed coup d’etat attempt”, thus taking over his chief’s speech. In his view, the ultras of the football fan clubs who were in the Victoriei Square, „are under the control of some structures of the intelligence services”.

Israeli Embassy in Bucharest: Shocking, wrong comparison

„The Embassy of Israel took note of the outrageous and false allegations of deputy Nicolae Bacalbasa. In the name of the Jewish people, we want to get the Romanian politician’s attention that his statements are distorting the situation from the Gaza Strip border in the past months, and we would appreciate if the deputy gets in-depth information before making shocking and wrong comparisons.

The violent attacks against Israeli civilians, coordinated by the terrorist group Hamas in the past months, will never go unanswered from our side. The State of Israel will always defend its people against any attempts to suppress it,” says the embassy in a press release sent to our editorial office.

The Israeli Embassy adds that Bacalbasa “is also insulting the peaceful protesters in Victoriei Square through his statements, by associating them with the Hamas terrorists”.

“Therefore, we are publicly asking Mr. Bacalbasa to withdraw his statements and to make sure in the future that this kind of at least inappropriate comparisons will not find themselves in his speech anymore,” the press release concludes.

Vanghelie on the Diaspora rally: „The Colectiv version attempted, Coldea, Ciolos involved”

Former Bucharest District 5 mayor Marian Vanghelie, former PSD member, also slammed the Diaspora protest, stating that it has been organized following „the Colectiv pattern” (editor note: the Colectiv fire in October 2015 followed by then PM Victor Ponta’s resignation and a technocrat government replacing the PSD Cabinet), also claiming that people like Dacian Ciolos (former technocrat PM) and Florian Coldea (former intelligence chief), but also parties like USR are behind this action.

„We have politicians, particularly Dacian Ciolos- who are going to the institutions abroad and because of them we allow intelligence services from certain countries to take part in destabilizing Romania. More concretely, a kind of Colectiv case has been wanted, when either the premier resigns or the government is toppled down,” Vanghelie told Dcnews.

“I don’t consider Florian Coldea the organizer, but a part of the action, just like Ciolos and USR, if USR means Coldea, Ciolos means Soros, Macovei,” the former PSD mayor claimed, also referring to an alleged discussion between Dacian Ciolos, Monica Macovei and a journalist „closed to Soros”, when they would have talked about how getting quick financing to destabilize Romania.

Dacian Ciolos retorts: Nonsense, people around PSD start hallucinating

Former premier Dacian Ciolos has promptly reacted to Vanghelie’s allegations, denying he would have had contacts, direct or indirect, with billionaire George Soros, while stating that “politicians around PSD area start hallucinating and seeing all kind of conspiracies, assassins and meetings in the restaurants.”

“I have never had any direct or indirect contact with Soros. I don’t know him, he doesn’t know me, unlike Mr. Ponta or Mrs. Cretu (European Commissioner for Regional Policy), or unlike other PSD leaders (…) This is nonsense that PSD keeps on reenacting since 2016. I notice there are more and more politicians in the PSD area who start hallucinating, seeing all kind of conspiracies, assassins, meetings in the restaurants, I don’t know, they have probably seen too many adventure movies or pay advisers who should rather write sci-fi novels (…) These people should see a therapist,” Ciolos stated.

He hinted he might sue Vanghelie over his accusations.

“What would Mr. Vanghelie say if I sue him, to come and prove I met Soros, or had any contact with him, by mail or phone? What would Mr. Vanghelie say if I sue him to prove all the nonsense and scams that he is serenely stating (…) And if the court proves I have no relation with Soros, will Mr. Vanghelie give all the money he has earned since he is going in for politics for charitable causes?,” the former technocrat prime minister concluded.