This archive report was first published on 22 December 2019.
On the 30th anniversary of the 1989 revolution, Romanians gathered in Revolution Square to commemorate the victims of the uprising. The event began with a minute's silence, followed by the release of hundreds of balloons, each representing one of the 1,142 people killed during the revolution.
President Klaus Iohannis and several ministers from his centre-right administration paid their respects by laying commemorative wreaths and lighting candles in front of a monument to the victims. In a speech earlier that day, Iohannis emphasized the importance of uncovering the truth about the revolution.
'We want to know the truth about December 1989,' Iohannis said. 'We want the guilty to be judged and for justice to be done.'
Ion Iliescu, Romania's former president, is currently on trial for crimes against humanity, accused of his alleged role in the final days of the revolution. The trial began last month.
For many Romanians, the commemoration was a chance to express gratitude to the young people who lost their lives during the revolution. 'It's thanks to those who died in December 1989 that we live in a free country,' said Veronica Nicolau, a 52-year-old attendee. 'I came to express my gratitude to these young innocents who were killed in cold blood,' added Petre Cojan, a 73-year-old pensioner.
The 1989 revolution began on December 15 in the western city of Timisoara and eventually reached the capital six days later. Ceausescu and his wife Elena were arrested on December 22 and executed after a summary trial on Christmas Day.
