TENS OF THOUSANDS OF UNIONISTS, JUST ONE VOICE: "Down with the government!"

• The protest began in a stormy manner and concluded with the "Dance of the Penguin" and breakdancing

Tens of thousands of unionists yesterday filled the Victoriei Square in Bucharest to protest the austerity measures announced by the government to fight the crisis.

The slogan of the meeting was "THEIR verdict: live if you can", and was organized by the five major unions - Cartel ALFA, BNS, CSDR, CNSLR Frăţia and Meridian. The protesters were unhappy with the wage and pension cuts announced by president Traian Băsescu and by the Boc Cabinet (25% and 15% respectively).

Ever since the first hours of the morning, buses from all over the country began arriving in Bucharest, as the streets adjacent to the Victoriei Square began filling up with protesters. According to Police estimates, 30,000 protesters attended the meeting, instead of the 60,000 that were expected.

Equipped with t-shirts, baseball caps, whistles, flags, and trumpets, the tens of thousands of unionists all requested the resignation of the Boc government and of president Traian Băsescu. Protesters warned that they would go on general strike, if the executive did not go back on its planned austerity measures.

• "We will give you 25% of our salaries if you go away"

Doctors, teachers, policemen, public clerks, railway workers and miners expressed their anger at the 25% cut of their salaries and at their inadequate work conditions.

One of their banners had the message: "We will give you 25% of our wages if you go away!". Accompanied by the drums of the unionists of Piteşti, protesters yelled "Down with the government" and "Down with Băsescu".

• "Boc, Boc, Boc, the Police is knocking on your door!"

Another slogan that seemed to be among the favorites of the protesters, in particular of the Policemen, was " Boc, Boc, Boc, the Police is knocking on your door!".

In front of the podium that union leaders held their speeches on, was placed a replica of the "Last Supper". The table was set up for differently, with the "Menu for the paupers, 80% of the population", with polenta, onions, carrots and potatoes, and on the other side, "the menu for the rich, of the few winners of the revolution of 89": wine, cognac, grapes and caviar.

Other banners of the unionists had the following slogans "Yeah, no biggie, you"ve killed us", "We want our rights, not handouts", "If we end up as beggars, it"s on you", "A parliament of rich people in a country that"s broke" "Băsescu and his government are making our lives a living hell".

• General strike on May 31st

Protesters also brought with them a portrait of deceased dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu who was circulated among the crowd, drawing ironic smiles. Being applauded by the crowd, the union leaders asked the Government not to try and make savings on the back of workers, but rather fire its armies of advisors and eliminate "politically awarded business clients and the leaching of public money". The chairman of the Cartel ALFA union, Bogdan Hossu, said for BURSA, that protests will continue, "most likely next week" and stressed that on May 31st there will be a general strike in the education system.

"Death" to PD-L member Hoară: "Hoară, come to me!"

Union leaders were afraid that protests would be accompanies by incidents and instigators.

And there were incidents indeed.

Over 20 protesters needed medical care after getting sick, with some of them being rushed to the hospital, after receiving first aid from the unionists in the medical system.

Another incident involved PD-L parliamentary Marcel Hoară. He was in the area giving an interview for one of the TV studios located in the Victoriei Square and he was spotted by the unionists and by a man disguised as "Death", who called out to him: "Hoară, come to me".

The PD-L parliamentary was sworn at, spit at and sprayed with water and was saved from the crowd by the Police, which got him into a van.

• Members of the National Liberal Party (PNL) and of the Social Democrat Party (PSD), among protesters

Fears that activists of the National Liberal Party and the Social Democrat Party would infiltrate the protest proved valid. Union leaders said the infiltrators were located near the Antipa museum.

• Protest ends in another festivity

The unionists" meeting ended around 13:00 hours in a weird manner, contrasting with the people"s discontent and with the headlines of appearing on TV such as the "Poverty rally": a concert supported by a break-dance group, which usually charges consistent fees.

At the end of the protest, the speakers placed by the organizers began playing the "Penguin Dance", which is usually listened to at weddings and baptisms. Leaving the Victoriei Square one after the other, while "doing the penguin", some of the protesters went to the bars in the area to vent their anger.

Let the dance!