The eastern Romanian town of Pungești was the scene of violent clashes on December 7 between some 500 demonstrators protesting against US company Chevron’s shale gas exploration project and security forces, reports Adevărul. The government had declared the area around the village in Vaslui County a "special security zone".
Demonstrators destroyed fences at the site where Chevron plans to drill. There were 15 arrests including a leading member of the local football supporters' club.
In Bucharest, several hundred protesters also took to the streets to show support for the residents of Pungești, adds the newspaper, which wonders if "democracy is not the main fatality in Pungesti" —
The main achievement of the 1989 Revolution was the right to express opinion without fear of being arrested and beaten.