20,000 Romanians March to Demand Release of Activist Beaten by Miners

About 20,000 demonstrators staged an hourlong march through Bucharest on Friday to demand the release of a jailed activist who had been savagely beaten in last month’s crackdown by vigilante miners loyal to President Ion Iliescu.

The march was among the largest street gatherings in the Romanian capital since the December revolution that overthrew Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

Shouting “Try the miners!” and “Try the one who called them!” the demonstrators gathered in front of the government building in Victory Square and demanded the release of jailed student leader Marian Munteanu.

Munteanu was a leader of the 53-day opposition rally that blocked central Bucharest until June 13, when police tried to put it down. The resulting violence killed at least six people.

Munteanu was badly beaten by pro-government miners who were urged by Iliescu to come to the capital to impose order. The miners subsequently terrorized the capital, and Munteanu was arrested in connection with the anti-government violence several days later while he was still hospitalized.

Many of the marchers carried pictures of Munteanu and banners proclaiming the innocence of other students arrested after political violence last month.

Soldiers stood shoulder-to-shoulder around the government building, but marchers heeded student requests for a peaceful demonstration. There were no reports of violence and the rally dispersed peacefully after three hours.

Shortly after the march, Iliescu went on state television to appeal for national trust and criticized those who seek to teach Romania “lessons of democracy.”