Spinal
MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2004
- Messages
- 4,806
- Location
- between Uxbridge and the Alps
- Car
- x254, G350, Duster, S320, Mach1, 900ss and a few more
I just got back from Romania (long story, I'll post properly once I've recovered...) but one thing did strike me...
While in Bucuresti yesterday, we stumbled across a massive strike/protest. Figures varied from source to source, but I saw 10,000 people (from the Gendarmes - i.e. the police's figures), 17,000 from the union's figures and 27,000 on the media...
Whichever way it goes (I would estimate a conservative 15k); that's a LOT of people protesting. We conveniently played the tourist card, and hid with the press on the side for a while, then decided to make an exit amidst some pretty impressive singing. (also, we couldn't figure out what they were protesting against.... or for... I think the president, as there was a SANITAS placard comparing him to ceausescu).
What's more, the protest turned violent (or so the police say - we decided not to hang around once the riot vans arrived and started shooting tear gas into the singing crowds).
Now, this was a pretty big deal in Romania, with every television channel being taken over purely by this for the entire day, a lot of flights being delayed and general chaos and traffic everywhere...
I decided to look into this on my return home... and can't find anything about it. Nothing on BBC, CNN, CBS, etc. Not a zilch.
I'm kind of curious why... after all, Romania is meant to be the newest EU member (if I remember well they become part in 2012 - just in time for the olympics). Any ideas why I can't find anything? Are my poor attempts at photography the only bits of evidence left?
M.
While in Bucuresti yesterday, we stumbled across a massive strike/protest. Figures varied from source to source, but I saw 10,000 people (from the Gendarmes - i.e. the police's figures), 17,000 from the union's figures and 27,000 on the media...
Whichever way it goes (I would estimate a conservative 15k); that's a LOT of people protesting. We conveniently played the tourist card, and hid with the press on the side for a while, then decided to make an exit amidst some pretty impressive singing. (also, we couldn't figure out what they were protesting against.... or for... I think the president, as there was a SANITAS placard comparing him to ceausescu).
What's more, the protest turned violent (or so the police say - we decided not to hang around once the riot vans arrived and started shooting tear gas into the singing crowds).
Now, this was a pretty big deal in Romania, with every television channel being taken over purely by this for the entire day, a lot of flights being delayed and general chaos and traffic everywhere...
I decided to look into this on my return home... and can't find anything about it. Nothing on BBC, CNN, CBS, etc. Not a zilch.
I'm kind of curious why... after all, Romania is meant to be the newest EU member (if I remember well they become part in 2012 - just in time for the olympics). Any ideas why I can't find anything? Are my poor attempts at photography the only bits of evidence left?
M.
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