Călin Georgescu challenges election rejection in Romania
UPDATE
Călin Georgescu will challenge the decision of Romania’s Constitutional Court, which rejected his candidacy for the May presidential elections.
One of the independent candidate’s advisers, backed by AUR and POT, confirmed the news to Reuters on Monday.
"We will go all the way together. Peace, freedom, and democracy," Călin Georgescu stated in a video posted on social media on Monday, where he appeared alongside AUR leader George Simion and POT president Anamaria Gavrilă, according to HotNews.ro.
INITIAL REPORT
Major unrest erupted in Bucharest after Romania’s Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) rejected Călin Georgescu’s candidacy for the presidential elections. His supporters organized a protest outside the BEC headquarters, which quickly turned violent, as reported by Antena3 CNN.
Protesters threw stones, eggs, and Molotov cocktails at law enforcement officers and journalists on the scene. Several individuals started fires, prompting the Gendarmerie to intervene and restore order. Authorities reported that two gendarmes were injured.
In the Old Town, groups of protesters continued to incite violence, with known football hooligans among the crowd outside the BEC headquarters. The Gendarmerie urged protesters to remain calm, calling on well-meaning individuals to distance themselves from those attempting to hijack the protest.
A major incident took place around 11:15 PM when protesters vandalized and overturned a Digi24 journalists' vehicle. Bucharest police have opened a criminal case for property destruction and are reviewing available footage to identify those responsible.
Authorities warned that they would take legal action against individuals inciting violence and committing illegal acts. At the same time, the Gendarmerie denied claims circulating on social media that law enforcement had been ordered to provoke disturbances.
The protests erupted after the BEC rejected Georgescu’s candidacy by a vote of 10 in favor and 4 against.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
