The representatives of several NGOs have tried to protest at the Presidential Palace on Thursday. Their flash-mob was stopped by the gendarmes.
Twenty representatives of NGOs gathered on Thursday morning outside the Presidential Palace in order to stage a protest against President Traian Basescu’s statements concerning the birth-rate. The action, touted as “an artistic flash-mob,” was over after only several minutes following the gendarmes’ intervention. For two or three minutes the young women managed to hold placards reading “Poverty, racism, misogynism. All being the president’s missions,” “Communist “patriotism” killed thousands of women,” “White women, Roma women, poor women. Solidarity,” “Her child, her right,” “Red card. Children – choice, not duty. Roma women are citizens,” “European President, my uterus is not your prerogative,” “Player president, you should give birth for the country and the people.”
The protest ended when the gendarmes told the participants that the event was unauthorized and they have to leave. The young women replied that they do not need an authorization and invoked Article 3 of law 60/1991 concerning the organization of public meetings, an article according to which “public meetings whose purpose consists of cultural-artistic, sports, religious and commemorative events or events occasioned by official visits or events taking place within the public or private headquarters of juridical persons do not have to be announced beforehand.” The gendarmes asked some of them to present their IDs. After that the protesters decided to go to the Presidency’s Record Office in order to leave their placards there.
Thursday’s protest was announced on Wednesday evening by the “Filia” Centre for Curricular Development and Gender Studies, E-Romnja, the Social Action Group, the Front Association, the Academic Club of European Studies, Romano ButiQ, the Center for Education and Social Development and the Partnership for Equality Center Foundation. During a meeting with successful businesswomen, a meeting organized by the “Business Woman” magazine, these NGOs expressed their opinion that some of the President’s statements were “discriminatory, racist, sexist and nationalist.” “President Traian Basescu’s statements represent an attack against the dignity of Romanian citizens of both genders, contain a series of discriminations against several categories of persons and reflect a serious departure from the responsibility of a political representative, responsibility that his office requires. With this statement Traian Basescu points out whose President he considers himself to be and whose he is not, something unacceptable in a democracy,” a communiqué released by the aforementioned NGOs reads. “We put President Traian Basescu on his guard that his statements are Romaphobic, sexist and nationalist. It seems Basescu has developed a phobia when it comes to the Roma woman because he used this term several times in his speeches. It is very worrisome that in 2013 we are witnessing the third public case in which reproduction among Roma women and their birthrate is brought into the debate,” Carmen Gheorghe, president of the Association for the Promotion of Roma Women, stated for ‘Jurnalul National’ daily.
President Traian Basescu stated on Tuesday that given the current demographic rhythm Romania will have a population of 15 million people in 2030 and the ethnic structure will change because the Roma minority is very productive, stressing that the birthrate is a mission for Romanian women and a ‘patriotic act’..
