Cav's Place

As during the final days of 2013, most protest-related events that took place during these first ten days of 2014 had to do with the hunger strike taking place in front of the Bucharest National Theater. I’m not saying Sandu’s hunger strike anymore because a few others joined him during this period, though I’m not entirely certain about the information I have about them. What I see is that one person joined for seven days, starting on January 2 or 3, and another apparently joined on January 5 and is still there. There was a report of another person joining on January 8, but I’m not seeing it confirmed at the moment, plus several reports of another who insisted on joining as well but who was turned away by the other activists because he was only 17.
Admittedly, all of these details would be quite easy to confirm by simply going there, or otherwise by thoroughly checking all the various pages, groups and events, the site created to support the strikers and the posts written by all activists who regularly go there to ensure the strikers are never alone. However, seeing as the politicians don’t care about the strike in the least and the mainstream media barely mentions it, I see no purpose in continuing the hunger strike at the moment and, to be perfectly blunt, am driven away from the entire movement by this focus on supporting the strikers instead of persuading them, or at the very least Sandu, to stop. All that’s happening now is that some determined activists are weakening themselves, likely reaching a state that won’t even allow them to recover well enough in time to take part in future actions, because it’s clear that, if Sandu’s three weeks, so far, of hunger strike weren’t even enough to get the desired kind of attention, nothing will come of it unless he’ll die, and if he truly is willing to give his life for the cause then I can think of far more efficient ways to do it.
Still, while I’m at it I should also mention that his condition is obviously worsening, he fainted and required some medical attention multiple times. While the behavior of others was appreciated by witnesses, there was at least one notable situation when a doctor who arrived treated him dreadfully, refused to hand him a copy of the test results and told him the authorities disapprove of his actions and that medical personnel won’t assist him in killing himself. The Police also caused some problems and the gendarmes still don’t seem to be helping when others are harassing or otherwise disturbing him, but the small group of activists who focus on supporting this strike do seem to have organized themselves more or less properly in order to be able to step in whenever needed.
As far as calls for specific actions go, there were some for a “small but efficient” protest coming from some who saw how that doctor treated Sandu and others, coming from another group, calling people to gather on January 5, but I’m not aware of anything actually happening as a result. An open letter also started circulating and, after some messages called people to gather around the hunger strikers on January 9 to write, or at least sign, a petition in support of their cause, this petition was delivered to the Parliament slightly later that same day. Later, the event was turned into a generic one, calling people to simply take actions in support of the strikers and their cause. Other calls I’m seeing now are for people to continue asking the mainstream media to cover the topic and to help man an information stand that some activists are setting up in the area, to inform people about the risks of fracking. Last but not least, on January 9 people were asked to once again gather in the area on January 12, not only to show support for the hunger strikers but also to help create signs and banners for the next protests.

To finally move on to other matters, the known activists and the movement’s “official” page made note of the January 7 protest staged by library workers against the Government’s decision to incorporate the National Pedagogic Library into the Central University Library even though the latter doesn’t even have the available space for more than a small fraction of the former’s books. In addition, a message which was also shared in the same way asked people to take part in some public debates regarding certain controversial development plans, which were to take place at the Bucharest City Hall, the first starting at 11 AM on January 10.
As for announcements of future events, a psychologist’s message, asking for help to launch a campaign informing 12th grade and college students about politics, rights and responsibilities and other related issues, was being shared at one point. What’s hoped to be the next major protest, scheduled for February 8, was announced on January 8, though at this point it seems that the call is largely only coming from the more “hardcore” activists and it remains to be seen how the situation will develop. Last but not least, two more calls came on January 9, one presenting a draft of a protest letter on the issue of fracking meant to be delivered to the European Commission and the European Parliament and asking for NGOs interested in signing it to do so by January 13, and the other stating that activists in 20 cities have already announced organizing events on February 6 meant to celebrate 1883 years since the earliest known reference to Rosia Montana and asking for anyone else who’s interested in adding their city to the list to make their intention known.