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ANTI-GOVERNMENT protests continued in Romania at the weekend despite a police crackdown which saw more than 450 injured in clashes and around 30 arrested in demonstrations against corruption.
Tens of thousands poured into the Romanian capital Bucharest on Saturday night calling for the social democratic government of Viorica Dancila to resign.
Local media reported at least 80,000 demonstrators with many carrying the national flag of Romania in defiance of warnings to stay away.
Security forces were on the streets again as the protesters chanted: “Down with the government” and “Justice, not corruption.”
The protests were sparked after the government moved to sack leading anti-corruption judge Laura Codruta Kovesi, whose investigations had targeted many leading government officials and exposed Romania's ruling classes.
Romania is one of the poorest countries in the European Union with an estimated four million people leaving the country since 2003. Wages remain at poverty levels with an average of just £465 per month.
According to the World Bank, up to a quarter of the Romanian population live and work abroad, sending back around $5 billion (£3.9bn) a year to the country to support family.
Many of those joining the protests were expats with similar demonstrations reported in other cities including Cluj, Sibiu, Timisoara and Iasi.
The violence occurred on Friday as crowds tried to force their way into government buildings with police responding with water cannons and teargas.
Klaus Iohannis, Romania’s centre-right president, said he “strongly condemned the brutal intervention of the police, which was disproportionate to the attitude of most demonstrators."
However Mr Dancila accused Mr Iohannis of “inciting the population against the authorities.”