New protest for freedom in schools in Bucharest

Schools were reopened a week ago, in the middle of September, but masks were mandated in class throughout the program. Plastic separators were placed between students on benches and a lot are still using online school as an alternative.

Over a thousand protesters gathered in University Square, under the banner that celebrates 30 years of democracy. It was in this square that people rallied against communist dictatorship in 1989 and also the place of the longest protest in Europe, in the following year.

Organizers called their protest State of Freedom, name used by a Facebook group also. The protest was completely peaceful, but was disturbed before starting by police officers with a speaker, announcing that the people present should wear masks. This was an ironic demand, as the only ones wearing masks in that square were the officers and representatives of the mainstream media.

Booed by the crowd, police officers starting pushing and asked to see the papers of some of the most vocal protesters. Those identified will likely receive a fine. After this short incident, the entire evening proceeded undisturbed.

The rally was started with a prayer, the singing of the national anthem and a minute of silence for those dead both of Covid but also those denied health assistance when hospitals were closed for non-covid patients.

The list of speakers was opened by Pompiliu Diplan, one of the main organizers of protests during the last months. Several lawyers on the stage denounced the unconstitutional ordinances that limit fundamental freedoms. Among them: Marina Alexandru, Diana Iovanovici Șoșoancă, Dan Chitic.

Doctor Răzvan Constantinescu spoke from a medical standpoint, contesting the utility of masks or lockdown to fight a pandemic. He reminded the studies that have shown that people with symptoms cannot transmit the disease and that it has very low incidence among children.

Cristian Filip, president of Parents Alliance of Romania, and professor Florin Palas insisted that teachers should not be transformed into a repression apparatus. Some denounced the new measures as transforming schools into „reeducation” or correction facilities, echoing the grim experience of communist prisons where brainwashing techniques were exercised.

Children were present in large number in the crown and some of them told their experience in „the new normal” from the microphone. They complained they were isolated and ridiculed in the class for not wearing a mask. Some banners were ironic with president Klaus Iohannis, who said „children are quick to get used to new things, even unpleasant”. Iohannis was himself a high school teacher before entering politics, but has no children of his own.

Adriana Vitan Balint, an alternative media journalist, reminded how authorities got tangled in their own statistics after reporting that over 45.000 people were cured overnight. A number which, at the time, was larger than that of those tested positive.

Mircea Pușcaș, activist from Bucovina Profundă, spoke about the transhumanist agenda of a one world government, as laid out decades ago by Bertrand Russel and Jacques Attali in their books. These famous globalist thinkers presented pandemics as ideal events for limiting freedoms and fear as control instrument. The 78 years old Petru Borodi from Cluj spoke about the importance of defending dignity and national resistance.

The signs carried by protesters read:

• „I am not wearing your fear!”
• „Down with the muzzles!”
• „Governments kill more than Covid”
• „Online school is no real school”
• „Mengele was a doctor too”
• „Down with communism”
• „Out children will not forget how you make them feel”
• „Free countries, not slaves to WHO”
• „Students wear masks, casino players go without”
• „Let us breathe!”