Tens of thousands of Romanians have protested against the country's government, which many accuse of wanting to weaken the fight against corruption. A crowd of about 30.000 protesters defied the cold and flooded the streets of Bucharest, Romanian media reported.
At the same time, at least 20.000 people took part in the demonstrations in 70 cities of the country. "Thieves, thieves!" protesters chanted in front of the government headquarters in the Romanian capital.
About 40 civil society organizations and two major unions, which called for the mobilizations, issued a joint statement denouncing a "political mafia taking control of Romania".
The signatories demand the withdrawal of the bills for the reform of the judicial system, which, as they claim, will reduce the powers of the anti-corruption prosecutor.
The opposition recently accused the government of "threatening the independence of the judiciary" through the three bills that have been tabled in parliament and are under discussion.
These bills sparked a new wave of protests against the Social Democrats, the big winners of the December 2016 parliamentary elections.
According to the opposition, the reforms proposed by the government run counter to the progress made in the fight against corruption in Romania. "Laws are being drafted that run counter to Romania's interests, simply to save some who are under investigation. "In my opinion, this is terrible," Ion Nika, a retiree who demonstrated in Bucharest, told AFP.