Anti-corruption rally answers Romanian government event

BUCHAREST, Romania – Some 3,000 protesters have gathered in the Romanian capital to oppose official corruption a day after a massive government rally against anti-corruption prosecutors.

Demonstrators yelled “Justice, not corruption!” and lit up the sky with their mobile phones as night felt in Bucharest on Sunday.

Irina Panzaru, a consultant, accused the government of trying to hijack the justice system after it moved to dismiss the country’s chief anti-corruption prosecutor.

She said: “I think we are slowly moving toward a dictatorship and I am … horrified.”

More than 100,000 supporters of the centre-left government rallied in the same spot Saturday, claiming anti-corruption prosecutors had too much power and abused their office.

The anti-corruption agency successfully prosecuted 713 officials in 2016, including 28 mayors and a senator.