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Bucharest, seven arrests for riots after ban on Calin Georgescu’s candidacy

Clashes and tensions after the exclusion of the pro-Russian populist candidate in the presidential elections. Romanian police arrest seven people, while the investigation also covers incitement to violence by a political leader

Seven people were arrested for their alleged involvement in last night’s riots in Bucharest, following the Central Electoral Bureau’s (Bec) decision to ban the candidature of pro-Russian populist Calin Georgescu in the Romanian presidential elections. Clashes between protesters and police forces resulted in 13 police officers being injured. The protesters, supporters of Georgescu, reacted violently after the announcement, throwing objects and setting fire to various materials.

The police stated that the investigation is ongoing, with a focus on a ‘party leader’ who allegedly incited the protesters to violence. According to local media, this would be George Simion, leader of the far-right party Alliance for the Union of Romanians (Aur), close to Georgescu. Simion allegedly said that the members of the electoral commission responsible for the exclusion should be ‘skinned in the public square’.

Calin Georgescu announced that he will challenge the decision in the Constitutional Court, stating that his goal remains to promote peace, democracy and freedom. Georgescu also called on his supporters to avoid future violence, reiterating the importance of acting peacefully.

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