Golaniad

The Golaniad (Romanian: Golaniada) was a protest in Romania in the University Square, Bucharest. It was initiated by students and professors at the University of Bucharest.

The Golaniad started in April 1990, before the election of 20 May, 1990, which were the first election after the Romanian Revolution of 1989. Their main demand was to eliminate from the candidate lists all ex-Communist politicians.

President Ion Iliescu called the protesters "golani" (meaning hooligans, scamps — which later gave the name of the protest) or fascists. The ending "-ad" ("-ada" in Romanian) was used ironically, since many of Ceauşescu's Communist manifestations had endings like this (in order to compare them with an epic, like the Iliad). The protesters also composed their own hymn, "Imnul Golanilor":

Mai bine haimana, decît trădător

Mai bine golan, decât dictator

Mai bine huligan, decât activist

Mai bine mort decât comunist"

lyrics by Laura Botolan; music by Cristian Paţurcă

Many intellectuals supported the protests, including writers like Octavian Paler, Ana Blandiana, Gabriel Liiceanu, Stelian Tănase or film director Lucian Pintilie. Eugen Ionescu supported them by sending a telegram from France in which he wrote: "şi eu sunt golan" ("I am a hooligan, too").

It lasted for 52 days and ended in a bloodshed, on 13-15 June, by the intervention of the miners of Jiu Valley.

In the Romanian press, the protests following the 2004 Ukrainian presidential elections were compared with the Romanian "Golaniad".

See also

• Proclamation of Timisoara

External links

• Article about the golaniad and third mineriad (in Romanian)