Skip to content or view screen version

Romanians battle neoliberal fascism

vast minority | 19.01.2012 07:41

THE ROMANIAN uprising against neoliberal fascism continues, with more protests planned for Thursday.

Anger is growing against the regime of President Traian Basescu, which has been brutally imposing IMF-ordered 'austerity measures' since 2009.

But the ruthless attack on people's living conditions has gone so far that they are taking to the streets in their thousands and staying there - even though Basescu has hastily dropped the changes to the health system which sparked the latest protests.

The outbreak of people power has been met with the same police brutality as is being unleashed by other local franchises of the global capitalist system, as can be seen in this 12-minute video by Alex Sandulache.

RT reports: "­Some 60 people have reportedly been injured as demonstrators clashed with riot police, hurling stones and petrol bombs, in an outpouring of rage against the government."

It quotes Marioara Florescu, aged 60. She has worked all her life in a textile factory in Bucharest, but now she is being forced to pay for her social security out of her small pension.

She says: “I've come here for the pain of the Romanian people, the pain of the entire country. For 22 years all they've done is destroy the entire country. Our youth has no future.”

vast minority
- Homepage: http://vastminority.blogspot.com/2012/01/romanians-battle-neoliberal-fascism.html

Comments

Hide 2 hidden comments or hide all comments

Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

Romania is like Greece

19.01.2012 09:10

The people of Romania can rightly be angry with their government as like the Greeks EU funding rather than being spent on infrastructure has been used to pay for unsubstantial pay increases as vote winners. The Romanian economy is simply not capable of paying for the level of social security that the population wants and needs.

It is time for the UK people to make up the difference because of our greater wealth, we are considerably richer than the Romanians and an Income Tax increase of 2p in the Pound would allow us to fund the Social Security needs of Romania.

European

"For 22 years all they've done is destroy the entire country."

19.01.2012 11:59

Sounds like this protestor is a bit of a Ceaucescu fan then...

Unreconstructed Stalinists watch

"Transition to democracy"

19.01.2012 14:22

Much of the frustration goes back to the way Romania transitioned to democracy after its 1989 coup against dictator Nicolae Ceausescu — with many former communists keeping control of power and resources. The results, today, are seen in entrenched cronyism, a huge gap between rich and poor and a lack of government transparency that feeds a widespread sense of injustice.

“The Mafioso government stole everything we had!” protesters declared on banners at several of the rallies that have taken place in more than a dozen Romanian cities since Thursday and appear set to go on.

 http://preview.tinyurl.com/82cl44y


anon

Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

Anarchist rhetoric alert

19.01.2012 16:14

I don't know anything about this particular issue, but people should be wary of this.

A month ago, when Vaclav Havel (who should be a hero to any anarchist who doesn't believe leaders are naturally evil in all circumstances no matter how much good they do) died, the Indymedia coverage was a load of absolutely shameful claptrap, good riddance to a traitor etc etc.

It seems a lot of anarchists can't further their points/arguments/beliefs without the (demonstrably false) claim that things are worse now than ever before. This turns too many anarchists into soviet apologists (and by the same logic hitler apologists but you can only speculate..) when these kind of situations occur.

Please understand that, unless Romania is a hugely different country from others in the east of europe (countries I am familiar with), people are really REALLY happy to have left communism behind. They may support or oppose what has happened since but the idea that the present is as bad as the past will at best make people laugh, more likely get you attacked. This makes the challenge of building a resistance movement far more difficult .... when all but the youngest generation of society can remember all too well how much worse things used to be.

I'd be amazed if that 'ruining the country for 22 years' quote is taken in context and is representative of the general feeling.

some guy

Hide 2 hidden comments or hide all comments