ROMANIA: Romanians remember those killed in 1989 revolution

Record ID: 572743

  • Title: ROMANIA: Romanians remember those killed in 1989 revolution
  • Date: 18th December 2009
  • Summary: TIMISOARA (550 KM WEST OF BUCHAREST), ROMANIA (DECEMBER 17, 2009) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PRIESTS PRAYING AT MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR THOSE KILLED IN REVOLUTION VARIOUS OF VICTIMS' RELATIVES HOLDING CANDLES IN FRONT OF TABLES OF FOOD VARIOUS OF PHOTOS OF THOSE KILLED PEOPLE GATHERED AROUND PRIESTS DURING MEMORIAL SERVICE VARIOUS OF PRIESTS BLESSING THE FOOD MAN WITH A CANDLE IN HIS HAND PEOPLE LAYING WREATHS AT THE MONUMENT FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE REVOLUTION POLICE OFFICERS LAYING WREATHS ROWS OF GRAVES BOY'S PHOTO ON GRAVE RELATIVES STANDING BETWEEN GRAVES VARIOUS OF RELATIVES GIVING OUT FOOD
  • Embargoed: 2nd January 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Romania
  • Country: Romania
  • Topics: History
  • Reuters ID: LVAARSRQNFF4DUGDHHFR7NFI9HDZ
  • Story Text: Romanians gather at the cemetery where those killed in the 1989 revolution are buried.
    Romanians gathered at a Timisoara cemetery on Thursday (December 17) to remember those killed in the country's revolution 20 years ago.
    Priests led prayers at the graves of those who died, to mark the 20th anniversary of the demonstrations which started the 1989 Romanian Revolution against the regime of communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.
    Wreaths were also laid at a monument to the victims.
    The 1989 demonstrations began after Timisoara's ethnic Hungarian priest Laszlo Tokes, who was accused of dissident activity, was threatened with deportation.
    As the number of people swelled into mass protests, government security forces opened fire on demonstrators, some having sought refuge in the city's cathedral.
    Nearly 100 Timisoara citizens were killed and hundreds more wounded as the city stood alone to defy Ceausescu's forces for five desperate days, before the revolt blazed a trail to Bucharest and the rest of the country.
    The Timisoara revolt led to street battles in Bucharest in which up to 10,000 people were reported to have been killed. Ceausescu fled the city but was recaptured and brought to trial and execution on December 25th.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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