Romanian Gendarmerie head's first statement on Piata Victoriei brutal intervention: “My colleagues did their duty"

Romanian Gendarmerie head Sebastian Cucos made today the first public statement after Friday evenings anti-government protests that left many injured due to the brutal intervention by the Gendarmerie, which used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowds. “My colleagues did their duty. People in uniform deserve our respect, ” he said in reaction to the wave of criticism voiced by the Romanian president, European Union representatives as well as foreign embassies and officials, adding that “those who made mistakes will be held accountable.”

Cucos started the press conference recalling his long track record with the Gendarmerie, which spans 22 years. “All I did was to love my country, believe in God, in the oath and in my people. We, Romanians have turned against each other too much, we hate each other too much. Let’s take a moment to reflect. Those who made mistakes will be held accountable; there are institutions that need to do their job and we need to be left to do our job. These gendarmes that are all over the internet are the same you saw during the foods, who rescued people from the snow,” Cucos said.

“In what concerns my colleagues, I assure you that they did their job, that people in uniform deserve our respect and yours,” he added, calling on everyone involved to return to “calm, moderation and understanding.”

The head of the Gendarmerie did not take any questions from the press.

Protesters gathered on Friday, August 10, in the Romanian capital’s Victoriei Square, in front of the government building, to protest against government led by the PSD-ALDE coalition. The protest was attended by many Romanians living abroad, whom travelled back to the country specifically to join the movement, which had been planned on social media starting several weeks ago. According to estimates, around 100,000 people protested in Victoriei Square last night.

Unlike during other recent anti-government protests in Bucharest, the Gendarmerie started to use crowd control tactics like tear gas and a water cannon early on in the evening. Around 11 pm, they used force against the protesters in order to evacuate the square.

A total of 452 people required medical care in the aftermath of the protest, of which about two dozen were members of the Gendarmerie. 65 individuals were taken to hospitals in the city.