The Inspector General of the Romanian Gendarmerie, Major General Alin Mastan, publicly apologized on Friday on behalf of the institution for the incident that occurred Thursday evening at the commemorative march dedicated to the victims of the Colectiv Club tragedy.
In a video message, he described the situation as „a regrettable moment” and announced internal measures to prevent similar situations.
"First of all, I want to publicly apologize for the incident that occurred," said Alin Mastan, adding that the moment has "a deep emotional and symbolic character." "We sincerely regret this incident, which is an isolated one. From this situation, we will draw the necessary conclusions and learn the lessons that are needed so that in the future, we can handle such moments with more balance," the general stated.
According to him, the event and the actions of the gendarmes will be analyzed, and the institution will take appropriate measures to avoid the recurrence of such incidents.
Organizer of the march fined 3,000 lei
A gendarme fined Marian Rădună, the organizer of the commemorative march "Colectiv - 10 years," with a fine of 3,000 lei on Thursday evening, claiming that the event exceeded the 11:00 PM curfew specified in the authorization. In reality, at that time, only a few participants were in front of the former "Pionierul" factory lighting candles.
Rădună reported on Facebook that he received the fine at the end of the event. "Every good deed is rewarded accordingly! Today we have 3,000 RON!" he wrote ironically, also posting a photo of the fine.
He stated that the sanction was not legal and that law enforcement did not know the law.
Criticism and reactions after the Gendarmerie's gesture
The march was authorized until 11:00 PM, but the moment of silence was extended by just a few minutes without incidents. In the footage taken on the spot, people were lighting candles and laying flowers quietly.
The Gendarmerie's gesture was heavily criticized on social media and by several participants, who considered the fine an insult to the memory of the 65 victims of the fire on October 30, 2015. "Shameful," "inhuman," and "a slap in the face to the grieving families" were among the public reactions posted after the incident was revealed.
The commemoration event, organized on the tenth anniversary of the Colectiv Club tragedy, brought together thousands of people in a silent march, culminating in a moment of silence in front of the place where, on October 30, 2015, 65 people lost their lives and dozens were seriously injured.