AUR protesters forced their way into Parliament’s courtyard. Security forces blocked the building’s entries. Cars vandalized

Over 2,000 people, with many AUR supporters have protested in front of the Parliament’s building on Tuesday, against the enforcement of the COVID green certificate and the protest escalated. They have entered Parliament’s courtyard on Tuesday and forced their entry into the Senate’s building. The gendarmes were deployed in front of the of the doors, trying to stop them.

At this time, the Parliament is convened in plenary session and Protection and Guard Service (SPP),which ensures the protection of all public institutions and dignitaries, has blocked all doors to prevent protesters from entering the building.

Traffic on Națiunile Unite Boulevard is blocked.

The protest started around 9.00 a.m., and at this time there are several hundred people who have flags and placards with messages against the introduction of the COVID certificate. Protesters did not wear face masks and did not comply with the social distancing measure, chanting “Freedom”, and “Romania, wake up!”.

The demonstration is organized by AUR, the new party in Parliament after the elections last year, with the party’s leader, George Simion saying that he wants to gather 10,000-15,000 people in the street, at the demonstration in front of the Parliament.

“Come along, we are many in front of the Parliament’s building (…) Now it is the moment to block this nonsense of certificate and  inhuman restrictions”, George Simion, who was attending the protest, told his fans in a live video on Facebook.

The coalition is discussing a new bill initiated by Alexandru Rafila on the introduction of the COVID certificate at the workplace.

The Covid workplace certificate will be introduced when a sustained increase of 3 consecutive weeks in the number of Covid infections is reported and when the infection rate is higher than 1.5 per one thousand.

The Ministry of Health also announced on Monday evening that the Government will be granting free vouchers for testing that will allow business owners to adjust to the situation prompted by the introduction of this certificate.

The head of Emergency Situations Department, Raed Arafat, told Digi24 that such events involving people who do not believe in the existence of the virus and do not respect the protection measures “become outbreaks of spread”.

“It’s enough for some of them to be infected and to be positive and spread the virus,” Arafat said.

Regarding the COVID certificate, the head of DSU says that “Parliament is sovereign and will decide how the legislation will be adopted”, but that measures are needed, especially in the context of the spread of the Omicron variant, “We cannot say, leave that way as all is good: It doesn’t work like that, certain measures are needed, in order to keep a balance between sanitary measures and the economic impact, which must be as small as possible“, said Arafat.

Vandalized cars in the Parliament’s parking

Several protesters have vandalized the cars of the Japanese and US ambassadors to Romania, who were at the Parliament at that time. Official sources said the US Ambassador had a meeting with the Senate speaker, Florin Citu. At the same, the Citu was to also meet Japan’s ambassador, but the encounter did not take place anymore due to the incidents.

“With the support of SPP, Gendarmerie and the Parliament’s protocol staff, we managed to enable the ambassador’s exit under secure conditions,” PSD senator Titus Corlatean told Antena 3.

It seems that other MPs’ cars have been also vandalized. The vehicles were painted with graffiti.

Meanwhile, AUR leaders themselves tried to calm the protesters down.

AUR chairman George Simion talked to the protesters, claiming they have vandalized the cars for the drivers had showed them dirty signs.