Tens of thousands of Romanians took part in a demonstration on Sunday organized by the largest far-right opposition party against the cancellation of last month’s presidential election over suspicions of Russian interference.
People marched on the streets of Bucharest waving Romanian flags and yelling against the ruling coalition, the Constitutional Court and outgoing President Klaus Iohannis.
Some of the protesters voiced support for the fringe Russia friendly presidential candidate Calin Georgescu and demanded the Constitutional Court reverse its decision to cancel the Dec. 8 ballot in which he was a frontrunner.
It’s the second time nationalist forces have organized protests in the past week over the annulled ballot. The Alliance for the Union, known by its acronym AUR, claimed that 100,000 people had taken part in the protest.
“Give us the second round back!” protesters shouted calling President Iohannis “You traitor!”
They marched through downtown Bucharest and were heading to the Cotroceni presidential palace in the west of Bucharest.
Police took Horatiu Potra, an associate of Georgescu and a former member of the French Foreign Legion and his son or questioning after they found a weapon on him. They detained him at the protest.
Police arrested Potra on December 7, while he was on his way to Bucharest. He was found in possession of knives and other edged weapons, around 30,000 euros in cash in various currencies and an air pistol.
Prosecutors suspect him of having attempted, along with other mercenaries active in Africa, to incite “violence” during demonstrations planned for that day to protest against the surprise cancellation of the second round of the presidential election.
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