Romanian Families Protest Mandatory Use of Masks in School

A man holds a banner showing children in a concentration camp and a paraphrase from a statement by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis that reads "Children get used to unpleasant things easily" during a protest in Bucharest, Romania, on Sept. 19, 2020. (Vadim Ghirda/AP Photo)

BUCHAREST, Romania—Several hundred Romanians, including many families with young children, protested Saturday in the country's capital against measures to curb the spread of coronavirus, especially social distancing and the mandatory use of masks in schools.

A man shouts slogan against the use of face masks as a means of protection against the COVID-19 infection during a protest in Bucharest, on Sept. 19, 2020. (Vadim Ghirda/AP Photo)

Like other countries in Europe, the number of new virus cases has spiked in recent days in Romania, with a record 1,713 cases earlier this week and 1,333 more on Saturday. In all, Romania has registered 111,550 cases of COVID-19, with 4,402 confirmed deaths.

A man wears a muzzle during a protest in Bucharest, on Sept. 19, 2020. (Vadim Ghirda/AP Photo)

Some 2.8 million Romanian schoolchildren began their academic year on Monday, with classes being held in classrooms, online, or a combination of the two, depending on the intensity of the pandemic in a given region. Desks have to be at least one meter apart, masks must be worn by students and teachers at the primary school level or higher, and classrooms are disinfected daily.

Protesters at Bucharest's University Square chanted against President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Ludovic Orban and drew parallels between the protective measures against the pandemic and the communist and Nazi regimes. One of the speakers at the rally compared the measures to the torture of dissidents during communism.

A man holds a sign saying "I don't suffer from COVID-ophobia" during a protest in Bucharest, on Sept. 19, 2020. (Vadim Ghirda/AP Photo)

A large sign carried by a protester included a recent quote from Iohannis about the safety measures—“Kids easily get used to unpleasant things"—above a photograph of children behind barbed-wire fences at a concentration camp

Protesters also highlighted the symbolism of holding the rally at University Square, where protests in 1989 against dictator Nicolae Ceausescu led to the fall of his communist regime.

Only police and members of the media wore masks at the event, where participants, many carrying Romanian flags, did not respect social distancing rules, either.

Local elections initially slated to be held in June but postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic will be held Sept. 27 to vote for mayors and city councilors across the country. Romania is also scheduled to hold a parliamentary election near the end of the year.

By Vadim Ghirda