January 30 (SeeNews) - Some 100,000 people protested again on Sunday night in Bucharest and other Romanian cities against government plans to adopt emergency decrees that will pardon prisoners and change the legal framework in order to decriminalize some offences - intentions seen by critics as an attempt to weaken the fight against corruption.
The protesters also asked that a referendum was held on the planned controversial changes.
The protests were announced on Facebook and by 1900 CET on Sunday, some 50,000 people marched through the streets of the Romanian capital, from the central University Square to the National Audiovisual Council, CNA, the justice ministry headquarters and then to the government headquarters.
The protesters were also unhappy with some TV stations in Romania over what they saw as manipulative coverage of the protest action, as those stations described the protests as a coup attempt.
Protests rallies were held in other several Romanian cities like Cluj, Iasi, Timisoara, Brasov, Sibiu and Constanta. Romanians living abroad also expressed their dissatisfaction with the government's intentions, holding protests in Paris and London, Romanian media reported.
On Monday, the justice ministry will hold public debates on the controversial changes to penal legislation.
On January 22, an estimated 48,000 people took part in protests against the government plans that could set free earlier public officials sentenced on charges of corruption.
Romania's president Klaus Iohannis stopped voting on the two emergency decrees by showing up at the government meeting on Wednesday.
Iohannis was also present at the protests on January 22, saying that Romanians must stop "several political officials who have judicial issues and want to change legislation and jeopardize the rule of law in Romania".
After this, Iohannis said he intends to seek a referendum on the issue.
On January 18, the coalition government of PSD-ALDE led by prime minister Sorin Grindeanu unveiled the drafts of two emergency decrees that aim to pardon people serving sentences of up to five years for non-violent crimes.Some 3,000 people then marched on the streets of Bucharest, too.
Romania's attorney general, the supreme court, the chief of the anti-graft department and representatives of the civil society warned that if the decrees pass, some 2,500 people, including elected officials convicted of corruption will be released. Among them will be PSD leader Liviu Dragnea who was prevented from becoming prime minister due to a two-year suspended jail sentence for a referendum fraud in 2012.
Justice Minister Florin Iordache said that the two decreees are meant to help free up some space in the country's overcrowded jails.
These are the most massive protests Romania has seen since November 2015, when thousands marched through the streets after a fire in a night club in Bucharest claimed 64 lives. Back then, former PSD leader Victor Ponta resigned as prime minister under public pressure and was replaced by technocrat Dacian Ciolos.