Summary - April 2, 2009

Participation in the protest, all over the country

Introduction

ANOSR organized on Thursday, April 2, 2009, protests in 11 university centers in Romania.

The protest brought together about 3,000 students from all over the country, students who highlighted a whole series of problems already raised by ANOSR and proposed various solutions to solve them. Below you will find details about each center.

Timisoara

The protest took place between 11:30 and 13:30 on the route Teren Sport Complex - Str. Cluj - West University - Polytechnic (UPT Electro body) - Tinereții Bridge - Victoriei Square (Opera).

The number of participants varied, at the beginning being about 600 - 700, to go up to 1200 at the exit of the complex (according to the estimates made by the police) and reached over 1700 in the area of the faculties. After leaving the university area, the number dropped to about 1400 at the final stop in front of the Romanian Opera.

Highlights of the march included:

1. The maximum length of the column, which stretched at one point from the exit of the complex to the Central Library near the UVT (~ 150 m);

2. The moment when he found out about the boycott attempts in Bucharest, and the students started chanting against the security ministry and tactics;

3. The moment of the Revolution in which the organizers climbed on the platform of UPT Electro;

4. Crossing the Youth Bridge in silence, after which all the cars on the street started honking in solidarity.

IASI

The protests in Iasi took place peacefully, of course by the ironic applause of the Minister for her mobilization to increase the scholarships in a timely manner and by sticking paper tape to our mouths as a sign of lack of communication from those from MECI with the students.

There was no problem with the local authorities, we managed to get the approval of the request to protest from the town hall and the gendarmerie and we were able to carry out our protest activity without incident. We were about 200 students who protested on the esplanade of UMF Iasi.

Cluj-Napoca

The protest took place between 11:30 and 12:15 and followed the route: House of Culture of Students - Heroes Boulevard (stationed at the monument dedicated to the martyrs of the revolution) - Avram Iancu Square.

Initially, before the start of the march, we gathered around 150 students in front of CCS, where we chanted a few slogans such as: "We are students / Not scoundrels or criminals ", "LIS / It will remain a dream with you ", "Ministry of KATYfea / Come with us for a coffee / Come on, don't stay / You pay from my scholarship ”.

Before starting the march, a young lady playing the role of Katy came forward, lined up the students with some military commands and started the convoy with the command. "Before I MARCH ”.

The students crossed Napoca Street, chanting slogans like the ones above, and once they reached the monument dedicated to the martyrs of the revolution on Heroes Boulevard, they stopped, holding for a minute a moment of silence in memory of students and young people who fell during the revolution. since 1989.

The march then continued on Heroes Boulevard, where other students joined the column, reaching at some point around 400 people.

Arriving in Avram Iancu Square, the students stopped chanting a few slogans to the ministry and the minister. Then came a moment of prayer, when everyone knelt down and prayed for education in Romania.

The action ended with the interpretation of the song "In the shadow of the Great Bear ”by the protesting students.

No incidents of any kind were reported, the students being escorted by police and gendarmerie all the way.

Constant

Constanța was in solidarity with the rest of the country and in protest the students gathered in front of the Maritime University of Constanța (UMC). Due to the fact that we did not submit the necessary documents in time to march on the streets of the city, we had to stay in the perimeter of the UMC in order not to have problems with the police, who said that it is not possible to go out in groups larger than 3 people (tactics used in '89, one of the main motives that led to the revolution).

The protest in Constanța ended not before representatives of the organizations they represent submitted an official letter to the prefecture, addressed to the prefect in which they listed their grievances.

Baia Mare

In Alba Iulia, the demonstrations started around 11:30, in the courtyard of the "December 1, 1918" University. About 200 students were present, who were given black and white images with the Minister of Education, Research and Innovation and sheets on which was written "Protest". In the background was the anthem ANOSR, which stopped when a coffin was brought (symbolic, of course, made of cardboard), which read "Death of higher education" (soundtrack "Ameno"). We were asked by the press what the coffin is, we answered that it symbolizes the state of higher education in Romania, with one foot in the pit. The students present, dressed in black, kept a moment of silence, chanted Represent the Future! ”, And in protest against the indifferent attitude of the Ministry, we all turned our backs on the journalists and started blaspheming.

A few tours of the University courtyard were made, we organized ourselves exactly like a funeral convoy, with the coffin on its head, carried on its arms. The whole action lasted about an hour.

Alba Iulia

In Alba Iulia, the demonstrations started around 11:30, in the courtyard of the "December 1, 1918" University. About 200 students were present, who were given black and white images with the Minister of Education, Research and Innovation and sheets on which was written "Protest". In the background was the anthem ANOSR, which stopped when a coffin was brought (symbolic, of course, made of cardboard), which read "Death of higher education" (soundtrack "Ameno"). We were asked by the press what the coffin is, we answered that it symbolizes the state of higher education in Romania, with one foot in the pit. The students present, dressed in black, kept a moment of silence, chanted Represent the Future! ”, And in protest against the indifferent attitude of the Ministry, we all turned our backs on the journalists and started blaspheming.

A few tours of the University courtyard were made, we organized ourselves exactly like a funeral convoy, with the coffin on its head, carried on its arms. The whole action lasted about an hour.

Galati

It started with an information and awareness campaign among students from Galaţi, by displaying the open letter, initiated by LSG Prefecture of Galati, and by explaining each point related to the consequences that will be felt by each student if LSG does not would have taken this position.

A spontaneous march was initiated, through which the students started from the Alexandru Ioan Cuza Complex to the Prefecture of Galati County, on the way to the prefecture they were joined by other curious students about the event. There was no sign of a protest or organized march.

The students, their representatives and the press entered the meeting room together, where they were expected by the prefect Ovidiu Branzan. by them. The meeting was recorded by all the press.

Bucharest

Venue: on the entrance alley to the Polytechnic University

No. of participants: 150-200

Symbolic activities: I distributed donuts as the ministry sells donuts to student representatives, distributed and ate mustard bread in protest of small scholarships; I lit candles at the "St. 5" church in protest of the education system but also to emphasize the inability of the ministry and the university leaders to respond to the problems of students; I sang student songs, such as "Polytechnic Hymn"

Problems encountered: The activities encountered a number of problems during their organization. Thus, when the students tried to promote the protest in the dormitories, they were reported to the police on the grounds that it is illegal to stick posters in the dormitories, so some of them reached the police station for identification. At the same time, the posters pasted in all the dormitories were detached by a group of people (both polytechnic employees and students from other federations). Moreover, although there is written approval for sheets with various messages to be posted on the Leo's home, they were immediately taken down by the employees of the polytechnic.

The organizers had previously requested the consent of Politehnica University in order to demonstrate peacefully on its field. Initially, there did not seem to be any problems on the part of the rector, but on the morning of the protest, one of the principals (who is also employed at MECI) threatened the students that if they held any demonstrations in the polytechnic, he would fire them on campus.

At the same time, among the participants in the protest came other people who tried to boycott the activities.

ANOSR considers these activities of intimidation to be UNACCEPTABLE in a society that wants to be democratic in which every citizen has the right to free expression.

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