Large scale anti-government protests are expected this evening and through the coming weekend at Piaţa Victoriei and other locations to include, but not limited to, the Ombudsman’s Office, Ministry of Justice, and PSD Party Headquarters. Large protests are also expected in other cities across Romania.
Romanian government passed a decree to de-criminalize certain forms of official misconduct on January 31 and major protests condemning the move took place February 1 and are expected to continue into next week. The demonstrations have a potential for short-term as well as sustained instability. In similar protests agitators did engage Gendarmes on the evening of February 1 in Piaţa Victoriei with pyrotechnics, rocks, and physical assaults, which caused several injuries and resulted in 70 arrests.
Expect normal pedestrian and vehicular traffic to be affected in and around protest areas, to include difficulties with Metro access/exit from certain stations during protest times (Aviatorilor, Piata Victorei, Piata Romana, Universitatii, Piata Unirii). Please consider alternate routes and plan accordingly, in particular if you reside in downtown neighborhoods near protest areas.
Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. The U.S. Embassy advises you to exercise caution if in the vicinity of any large gatherings, protests, or demonstrations.
For further information:
- See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Romania Country Specific Information.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency. STEP enrollment gives you the latest security updates, and makes it easier for the U.S. embassy or nearest U.S. consulate to contact you in an emergency. If you don’t have Internet access, enroll directly with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
- Contact the U.S. Embassy in Romania, located at 4-6 Liviu Librescu Blvd., at +021-270-6000, 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is 021-200-3300.
- Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
