Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 14, 1990 TAG: 9006140533
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A/1 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: BUCHAREST, ROMANIA LENGTH: Short
Health Ministry officials said five people were killed and 277 injured in two days of violence, the country's worst since the December revolution that toppled and executed dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.
There were unconfirmed reports of more than a dozen deaths. Deputy Health Minister Radu Dop said 80 people were hospitalized.
The clashes began before dawn Wednesday, when club-wielding police broke up a nearly two-month, anti-government protest in central University Square. Later, police opened fire on demonstrators who attacked state television, the Interior Ministry and the headquarters of the new intelligence service.
Early today, soldiers fired at demonstrators who threw firebombs at police headquarters and sporadic gunfire echoed across Bucharest.
The pro-government workers who streamed into Bucharest today heeded a call in a televised speech from President-elect Ion Iliescu to put down what he termed an attempt by "fascists" to overthrow the government. He repeated the call today in a speech to supporters outside government headquarters.
Thousands of miners packed University Square, clubbing reporters and people they thought were opposition sympathizers.
People in military trucks handed milk and bread to the miners.
by CNB