The western Romanian city of Timişoara marks today 34 years since it declared itself the first city free of communism in Romania. To celebrate the victory against communism, several events are taking place today, including screenings of short films and documentaries, as well as a marathon tour at the Brâncuşi exhibition at the Art Museum. 34 years ago, after the bloody repression of the uprising that started on December 17, the big factories went on strike, and the workers lined up and gathered in the center of the city. In front of the crowd, the army withdrew to the barracks, the people arrested were released and the Romanian Democratic Front was established. Started in Timisoara, the people’s revolt against the regime led by the dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu extended to several cities of the country. In the violent events that took place then, over 1,000 people lost their lives and around 3,000 were injured.
