I just got tear gassed yards from my flat and feel this is life!
I felt like Paul Pennyfeather in Chapter1 of Decline and Fall. Which at my age is ridiculous. No rioting where I was and few people except police though Andy's wife said they had made a bloackade of tyres in front of Cocor and set it ablaze. These disturbances began last night, publicised on Facebook and probably Twitter. I am told a section of the secret services is behind them seeking to undermine President Basescu. They usually are behind things. People refer to it not entirely in jest as a revolution and like the 1989 revolution it is being orchestrated for the benefit of people inside the 'political structure' meaning the formerly Communist structure of power.
Though nothing in Romania is really organised. Not even organised crime. I remember ten years ago telling an exuberantly rapacious lawyer, Patricia Osmani, who was close to several leading members of the PSD government, that the PSD was simply an organised crime racket to which she said, 'No it's not - they are not organised at all.' So it is with everything here.
I wish to record that I was wearing my new covert coat with the velvet collar and I would like to say I behaved like an Englishman and battled my way through but I was lazy, the gas was a bore and actually I just turned back and went home. Andy Taylor with whom I had been drinking lived in the other direction and went through the scrum, tear gas, police charges and all.
Andy later told me:
Andy later told me:
"It was insane around Hanul Manuc, with fires burning, constant cack of tear gas being fired, people running everywhere. the police using tear gas, but having no masks themselves! As I entered the metro a large group of young men ran in, chased by police snatch squads and the tunnels stung with tear gas. By the time I boarded the train my mouth felt like I had chewed serval chillie peppers, my nose had swelled vastly and my eyelids stung."
Later loud confused noises from my window, shouting and the sounds of shots.
This is nothing compared to when Romania defeated England in 2000 with a late penalty. The delirious crowds made the streets impassable and the revolution look like a tea party.
I remember a scene from the 1830 French revolution. The pealing bells signalled the end of riots. Talleyrand said “Ah, the bells, we are winning.” “Who are we, mon prince?” “Shhh! I’ll tell you tomorrow.”
I've been trying find Patricia Osmani ever since she left New York. I went to law school with her at Columbia, etc. and some other important connections. She seems to have dropped off the planet. Any idea where she is? She was in Bucharest 10 yrs ago but seems to have been lost in recent years. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteroycowherd@aol.com