Riot police at the protest outside government headquarters in Bucharest, 15 January 2026. Photo: EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT.
Around 10,000 people took part on Thursday night in two demonstrations in central Bucharest, protesting against a law adopted last year that criminalises the initiation of, support for or participation in fascist, racist and xenophobic movements.
The rallies were organised by the ultra-nationalist Conservative Action Party, AC, and were joined by supporters of the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians, AUR.
“The law seeks to seize the soul of the nation. It is meant to remove our icons from churches, erase our heroes from history textbooks and alter our traditional values … Our struggle is for Romanian identity,” said Claudiu Tarziu, the leader of AC and a member of the European Parliament.
As well as opposition to the legislation and what they described as restrictions on free expression, demonstrators also voiced anger over the government’s austerity measures, chanting slogans against political elites.
The protests were monitored by a significant police presence. Few incidents were reported.
The contested law was adopted in June last year. It strengthens existing provisions banning extremist propaganda and symbols, introducing harsher penalties for public incitement, organisation or promotion of such ideologies.
Supporters of the law argue that it aligns Romania with European standards on combating hate speech and extremism, particularly given the country’s historical experience with fascist movements. Critics, however, claim the law is vague and could be used abusively to silence political dissent.
Despite the strong rhetoric on both sides, the law has been used relatively little so far. Of 248 investigations opened last year, up from 119 in 2024, only 20 cases were brought before the courts. One of the most high-profile cases involves former right-wing presidential hopeful Calin Georgescu. He is under investigation for allegedly promoting fascist propaganda.