Traian Băsescu Calls for Dialogue Between the Government and Farmers After Clashes in Victory Square

Traian Băsescu is calling on the Government to invite a delegation of the farmers who protested on Tuesday, September 15, in Victory Square to talks, after the demonstration escalated into clashes with gendarmes. The former president says tensions must be defused through discussions and claims that provocateurs may have been among the violent participants.

The protest was organized by livestock breeders and other farmers dissatisfied with problems in agriculture and animal husbandry. Their demands include halting live animal exports, managing disease outbreaks among sheep, and compensation for slaughtered animals.

Băsescu said the Government should speak directly with the protesters and clarify the situation regarding animal vaccinations and compensation. He claimed that some people may have come specifically to provoke law enforcement and called for an investigation into possible AUR involvement.

The incidents began after several demonstrators forced their way through the gendarmes’ cordon and reached the roadway, blocking traffic in the area of Victory Square and Victoria Underpass. Objects were thrown at the gendarmes, who used tear gas. Several people received medical attention, while other protesters were taken to the police. The Gendarmerie announced that it was reviewing footage to identify those involved in the violence.