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Sâmbătă, au avut loc proteste organizate de AUR în România și în comunități românești din străinătate. Protestatarii cer reluarea turului secund al alegerilor prezidențiale. Ei cred că decizia curții de a anula alegerile este nedreaptă. Cele mai mari proteste au fost în București, cu oameni scandând lozinci pentru libertate și alegeri libere.

Translation

On Saturday, protests were organised by the AUR in Romania and in Romanian communities abroad. The protesters are demanding the resumption of the second round of the presidential elections. They believe the court's decision to annul the elections is unjust. The largest protests took place in Bucharest, with people chanting slogans for freedom and fair elections.

Exercise: Text comprehension

Question 1: Where did the largest protests take place?

The largest protests took place in Bucharest.

Question 2: What are the protestors demanding?

The protestors are demanding the rerun of the second round of the presidential elections.

Exercise: Vocabulary

(n.) - protest

- organise

(f.) - resumption

(n.) - round

(f.) - decision

(f.) - slogan

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▌19/01/2025

This past Saturday, mass protests were organized by the Alianța pentru Unirea Românilor (AUR) across Romania and in Romanian communities abroad. Demonstrators are calling for the resumption of the second round of presidential elections, a demand triggered by a recent court decision which they perceive as unjust.

The protests were most visibly gathered in Bucharest, with nearly a thousand participants carrying vuvuzelas, drums, and Romanian flags, repeatedly chanting "Freedom!", "Down with the Government!", and "Redo the Second Round!" The crowd held banners advocating "Democracy", "Down with Censorship", and "Down with Dictatorship".

The protests came after Romania’s High Court dismissed Călin Georgescu’s appeal for redoing the presidential elections, which had been annulled by the Constitutional Court earlier this month due to alleged electoral support issues involving Georgescu.

Protest leader George Simion stated on social media that the demonstrations would continue until the "usurper president and traitorous government" listen to the people's voice. In previous statements, Simion emphasized a return to a democratic constitutional framework with depoliticized state institutions.

AUR Protests in Romania Over Election Dispute AUR Protests in Romania Over Election Dispute (Illustration)

Outside Bucharest, notable protests occurred in cities such as Constanța, Iași, Ploiești, and Alba Iulia. Each location drew sizeable crowds, with protestors condemning current political figures and policies. In particular, demands for "Free Elections" and criticisms of existing power structures were recurrent themes. In Constanța, demonstrators even engaged in traditional Romanian dances as a form of peaceful protest.

The underlying contention arose when the Constitutional Court annulled the first round of the 2024 presidential elections, citing irregularities including foreign influence, as disclosed by intelligence agencies. Georgescu, who ran as an independent, and Elena Lasconi from the USR party were initially set to contest in a second round after unexpectedly defeating more favored candidates in the first round.

However, further evaluations led to the annulment of those results, sparking nationwide discontent among Georgescu's supporters and broader calls for electoral integrity and government accountability.

The AUR party has vowed to continue its struggle, urging Romanian citizens both at home and abroad to rally for "functional democracy," as they believe the court's verdict undermines millions who seek a fair electoral process.

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