Romanias Social Democrat Prime Minister Victor Ponta has resigned. Ponta, who is already facing trial on corruption charges, has been under pressure to step down for several months now. The head of state Klaus Iohannis and the opposition have repeatedly called on him to step down. It was Tuesdays rally that finally convinced him to do so.<\/p>\n
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After three days of national mourning and a march in memory of the victims of the Colectiv nightclub fire, 25,000 Romanians took to the streets again, this time to show their deep resentment against those who allowed this tragedy to happen. Young people, families with small children, teenagers and pensioners alike took to the streets of Bucharest complaining about government corruption and asking for a change. Protesters demanded the resignation of Victor Ponta, of the interior minister Gabriel Oprea and of Cristian Popescu Piedone, the mayor of Bucharests District 4 where the nightclub is located. \u201cPonta must resign!, \u201cOprea, out! \u201cAssassins! and \u201cCorruption kills!, were some of the slogans chanted by protesters who were gathering in large numbers in the University Square and then in front of the headquarters of the Government, Interior Ministry, Parliament and District 4 City Hall. <\/p>\n
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Protesters were carrying national flags and placards saying \u201cRomania without them, \u201cCorruption, indifference and greed suffocate Romania, \u201cPoliticians, you are all guilty of destroying Romania!, \u201cWe wont leave until you leave! \u201cYou should be afraid, the nation is awake!, \u201cThe last solution, another revolution!.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIts not OK what happens in Romania and we need to make a change<\/em>.<\/p>\n
Things are going from bad to worse, no rules are being observed\u2026I think our only chance to change things is for all of us to take to the streets and ask for the things we are entitled to<\/em>.<\/p>\n
\u201cIts really bad whats going on and we have paid a heavy price\u2026 I for one, want to live in this country. I have worked abroad and I know I dont want to leave anymore. I love Romania and I want to have a better future here<\/em>.<\/p>\n
Angry at one of the biggest tragedies in Bucharest over the last decades, the fire at the Colectiv nightclub, protesters have said they are sick and tired of the authorities corruption and carelessness, which have allowed for this terrible thing to happen. Political decision makers, protesters say, must understand once and for all that it is the general interest that should prevail, not the individual one.<\/p>\n
Protests, marches and commemorations took place on Tuesday evening in several cities in Romania. Impressed with the dimension of street protests, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has said that politicians cannot ignore this feeling of revolt and peoples demands for their dignity to be respected. In his turn, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Valeriu Zgonea, has said that time has come for the entire Romanian political class to understand that it has a duty towards the people. Rules should not be applied preferentially, and the law should not be suffocated by corruption and bribery. <\/p>\n
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