Romanian policemen Join Demos Against Austerity Measures

[Kiev Communard]

Quite interesting development. If Romania had any meaningful left-wing organization, it would be prudent to spread anti-austerity agitation among these layers - after all, they are trained for street action and, given any revolutionary situation, their support would be most helpful (just like with Russian army troops who defected to the insurgents during the February Revolution).



Several thousand civil servants, including police and prison guards, rallied Friday in Bucharest against the government's planned austerity measures.

The crowd, estimated by police at 6,000, was called to gather in front of the seat of the government, but then began an unscheduled protest march toward President Traian Basescu's office, demanding that he meet labour union representatives, DPA reported.

Romania sought a 20-billion-euro (26-billion-dollar) bailout from the International Monetary Fund and European lending institutions last year to stay afloat amid the financial crisis.

To qualify for assistance, Bucharest must drastically cut spending and bring its budget into order by reducing the deficit from 7.4 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2009 to 4.4 per cent in 2011. The deficit target for 2010 was set at 6.8 per cent of GDP.

The austerity measures included slashing all public sector wages by one-quarter in July and firing a total of 70,000 civil servants by the end of 2010.

At the same time, seeking to boost revenue, Prime Minister Emil Boc's cabinet in July hiked the value-added tax from 19 to 24 per cent, fueling price inflation.

http://en.trend.az/regions/world/europe/1756013.html

[Pavlov's House Party]

but... but the police are supposed to be unthinking tools of capital!:(

[Comrade Marxist Bro]

but... but the police are supposed to be unthinking tools of capital!:(

Not the anarchist cops, dude.

[Tzadikim]

but... but the police are supposed to be unthinking tools of capital!:(

This is because the police are in the pay of the State, and so austerity measures effect them, and more directly than most other occupations. If their services were as privatized as they are here in the U.S. (prison guards almost completely, the police partially), it's highly unlikely this would occur.

[Kiev Communard]

This is because the police are in the pay of the State, and so austerity measures effect them, and more directly than most other occupations. If their services were as privatized as they are here in the U.S. (prison guards almost completely, the police partially), it's highly unlikely this would occur.

Nevertheless, my opinion of Romania and Romanian working class militancy has highly improved due to these and the other events. Here in Ukraine such massive demonstrations, not to speak about the involvement of policemen in them, are next to impossible.

[Jayshin_JTTH]

Well, if we are to hold that the class struggle affects all of society, then of course it should affect the police too (as the bureaucracy are a subset of the working class).

[Artemis3]

Ah, the wonders of the IMF and WB... Leave it to neo-liberals to unite class struggle, it is nice to see Europe feeling what South America had to go thru the last decades...

[The Vegan Marxist]

Now if police were like this & actually organized instead of protect the system, I wouldn't be so anti-police all the time.

[Taikand]

Now if police were like this & actually organized instead of protect the system, I wouldn't be so anti-police all the time.

That's why I never understood why are US americans so opposed to policeman, back here in Romania we don't really have this feeling.
And most of the police forces are unionised. It was interesting watching today police and riot guards against the protesting police forces ( the protesters where in their uniforms so you couldn't know which side was which) .

[LebenIstKrieg]

It was interesting watching today police and riot guards against the protesting police forces ( the protesters where in their uniforms so you couldn't know which side was which) . any footage?:thumbup1:

[Tzadikim]

That's why I never understood why are US americans so opposed to policeman, back here in Romania we don't really have this feeling.
And most of the police forces are unionised.

Because our police forces are privatized, and hence have a much stronger material reason for supporting the existing power structure.