Posted as part of Facebook’s efforts to curb the online dissemination of misinformation, reports claim that an image of a large crowd in Bucharest, Romania, shows a recent protest against COVID-19 restrictions. This photo is incorrectly marked as it is from 2017 and shows protest actions in Bucharest against the Social Democratic government’s efforts to weaken corruption.
Examples of postings that make this claim can be found here, here and here.
On 5 February 2017, geopolitical analyst and author Koert Debeuf tweeted the image with the caption: “Wow. Bucharest, Romania tonight. The people are asking the government to leave ”(here). Twelve minutes later, political scientist Ian Bremmer also tweeted the image with the caption: ‘The Romanian people have not won against corruption, but want to leave the government. Bucharest now: (image) ”(here).
While the source of the image in question is unclear, it spread on social media for almost three years before the coronavirus causing COVID-19 was first identified in January 2020 (here) in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.
On 31 January 2017, the cabinet of one-month-old Romanian Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu angered voters when he approved an emergency decision that would have decriminalized several offenses (here).
The decision, widely criticized in Romania and by its Western allies, has given rise to the biggest revelation of popular anger since the fall of communism in 1989, with at least half a million people taking to the streets on 5 February 2017.
Similar to the recirculating image, Reuters photos of protesters gathered in front of the government building during a protest on February 5, 2017 in Victorei Square in the capital Bucharest can be found here and here.
As reported here by Vice News, Bucharest witnessed protests against COVID-19 blocking measures at the same location, Victorei Square, in July 2020. However, the scale of these protests was nowhere near the protest against the 2017 government.
VERDICT
Incorrectly marked. This image of a large crowd in Bucharest does not show a protest against COVID-19 restrictions, but a demonstration against the government’s efforts to decriminalize certain corruption offenses in 2017.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work here.