August 13 (SeeNews) - Thousands of Romanians held fresh rallies across the country over the past weekend, demanding the resignation of the Social Democrat government after a protest in Bucharest turned violent on Friday, leaving several hundred people injured.
The demonstrations were peaceful on Saturday and Sunday, when some 50,000 people protested in front of the government headquarters in Bucharest by waving NATO and EU flags and shouting messages against the government which they accuse of acting to weaken the fight against corruption in the country.
Thousands also rallied in other major Romanian cities such as Cluj, Brasov and Sibiu, local media reported.
Sunday marked the third straight day of protests in Romania.
On Friday night, several hundred Romanians were injured while protesting against the government after getting caught in clashes between football fans and the riot police. Some 440 people were hurt and needed medical care, but sustained no-life threatening injuries, according to information released by the healthcare authorities. According to local media estimates, some 100,000 people gathered in front of the government headquarters to protest against cabinet policies that in their opinion will shield criminals and slow down the fight against corruption.
The protest was announced in early-July, aiming to bring out in the streets many Romanians who work abroad and are back home for vacation.