Thousands of participants at Bucharest Pride, no major incidents

Placards read: "A lot of gender ideology", "Houses for everyone", "Queers against capitalism", "Our rights are not negotiable", "Stop using us for capitalism's disasters". Banner reads: "Diamonds stronger than gold" [e.n. - AUR, meaning gold, is the Romanian-language acronym for the Alliance for the Union of Romanians, a right-wing parliamentary formation].   Thousands of people participated on Saturday evening in the Bucharest Pride 2021, marching through central Bucharest from Victoria Square to the University Square. The event was attended by numerous youths, holding balloons and flags emblazoned with the rainbow flag. The participants were urged by the organizers to wear protective masks, also announcing that they are available for free. The ACCEPT association, organizer of the event, had previously announced on Facebook that they assume the consequences of exceeding the maximum number of 500 participants allowed by law, in the context of the pandemic. "The Bucharest City Hall, through the Public Order Commission, signed with the ACCEPT Association a protocol to organize Bucharest Pride on the basis of the law, for a participation of 500 persons. We still oppose the restrictions on this march, as we consider the restrictions applied to the freedom of gathering and expression by the central authorities are disproportionate, especially in the conditions of the COVID incidence rate in Bucharest today, under 0.3 per thousand people. We assume, as organizers of Bucharest Pride all the consequences of infringing the restriction on 500 persons participating and we invite the authorities to punish ACCEPT and not the participants," said Teodora Ion-Rotaru, executive director of ACCEPT. Placard reads: "Equal rights for my family". Following the march, the Bucharest Gendarmerie announced that the organizer was fined for infringing the restrictions, with gendarmes issuing a 7,000 RON fine. In reply, the executive director of ACCEPT, Teodora Ion-Rotaru announced that they will contest the fine, saying also that "freedom of gathering is not inferior to the freedom of conscience of religious organizations, nor to the right of citizens to enjoy cultural activities.". The executive director also said that "the Gendarmerie did its duty, protecting the participants to the march and it was normal for them to fine us. In court we will criticize the measures adopted by the Government, not only the fine applied with justification by the Gendarmerie." On the other hand, during the Bucharest Pride march, several hundred persons gathered in the December 21, 1989 Square [e.n. - colloquially, the entire area is known as University Square, the two squares being on opposite sides of the University of Bucharest building]. They listened to prayers, songs, but also a series of speeches critiquing the Pride march, its organization before the Feast of the Dormition, as well as stating their opposition to mandatory vaccination. Around 19:00, following the Pride March, the participants gathered in University Square where they listened to music and speeches emphasizing the importance of the freedom of expression, of respecting sexual minority rights, but also of visibility. The Gendarmerie ensured that participants in the two events maintained their distance. Previously on Saturday, several hundred people participated in a "March for Normality", organized by the far-right New Right Party also in central Bucharest. The participants bore religious icons and wooden crosses, chanting their support for the "values of the traditional family." AGERPRES (RO - author: Irinela Visan, Andreea Rotaru, editor: Karina Olteanu; EN - editor: Razvan-Adrian Pandea) Photo: (c)  ALEX MICSIK / AGERPRES FOTO, GRIGORE POPESCU / AGERPRES FOTO