Shortly beforehand, AUR MEP Gheorghe Piperea had criticized Bucharest General Mayor Ciprian Ciucu, saying that City Hall was restricting the right to protest: authorization had allegedly been denied for a demonstration at Izvor Park, while the initial draft protocol had proposed conditions such as holding it between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., strict delimitation of the space by gendarmes, limiting speeches, and the participation of no more than 50 people.
Meanwhile, Ciucu later issued public clarifications about the protests following the violence in Victory Square, stating that public safety and intervention fall under the responsibility of the Gendarmerie and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He indicated that peaceful protest is a civic right, but mentioned that public gatherings are analyzed by an interinstitutional committee, while City Hall was expected to assess the damage and take steps to recover the losses.
At the same time, investigations also focused on the possible hijacking of the demonstration: the authorities were checking the role of certain people believed to have mobilized or expanded the protest, while tear gas had been used in the clashes, with people reportedly taken in for questioning and criminal cases opened, amid the fact that the organization had been announced in advance on social media.
