Bucharest protests mark eight years since August 10 violence

Protests have been organized in Bucharest and Iași to mark the eighth anniversary of the August 10, 2018, violence in Victory Square. Organizers, including the “Corruption Kills” Association and the RESET Civic Association, are demanding accountability for the Gendarmerie's intervention during the anti-government demonstrations.

Activists expressed concern that the legal proceedings have failed to establish responsibility satisfactorily. A primary driver for the demonstrations is the looming statute of limitations; organizers warn that certain aspects of the case could expire in October 2026. This follows a recent ruling by the Bucharest Military Tribunal that acquitted former Gendarmerie chiefs and other officers involved in the crackdown, a decision that is not yet final.

In Iași, members of the RESET Association held a demonstration in front of the Court of Appeal, using a symbolic hourglass to represent the passing time and the risk of legal expiration. Protesters in Bucharest are calling for the identification of those who ordered the intervention and for guarantees that state institutions cannot use illegal force against peaceful demonstrators without legal consequences.