Romanian shepards and farmers clash with police

Dozens injured as 2,000 farmers – backed by far-right groups – protest the extension of a livestock export ban.

Romanian shepherds, farmers and their supporters scuffle as riot police spray them with tear gas during a protest outside the Romanian government headquarters in Bucharest, Romania, on September 15, 2026 [Robert Ghement/EPA]

Riot police have clashed with Romanian shepherds and farmers as they rioted during a protest against a ban on livestock exports due to disease.

About 2,000 people gathered to demonstrate in the capital, Bucharest, on Tuesday against the extension of a live sheep export ban, imposed by the European Union due to the highly contagious small ruminant plague. As in other protests by farmers across Europe in recent years, the rally was encouraged and supported by far-right forces.

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Violence broke out in front of the Romanian government building in Bucharest when some protesters demanding the reversal of the ban began throwing rocks, metal barriers and other objects at law enforcement.

Police responded with tear gas in a bid to disperse them. Twenty-six people were detained, riot police said in a press release.

Twenty-four demonstrators and police officers required medical attention – some for broken bones, others for the effects of the tear gas. Four were hospitalised.

The government and the opposition called on the demonstrators to refrain from violence.

A Romanian protester argues with riot police officers during a protest held outside the Romanian government headquarters in Bucharest, Romania, September 15, 2026 [Robert Ghement/EPA]

The demonstration was called by farmers and shepherd groups. Protesters held banners calling on the country’s president and prime minister to resign.

Some chanted the name of far-right politician Calin Georgescu, a former presidential candidate who is standing trial for acts against the constitutional order following the annulment of the presidential elections in 2024.

Supporters of Georgescu had shared messages on social media ahead of the protest, asking people to join.

George Simion, the leader of the main far-right group in the country, the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), wrote on Facebook that “AUR stands with the farmers and all working Romanians”, but called on protesters to demonstrate peacefully.

‘Legitimate protest to street fighting’

The Romanian government said in a press release that the protest had “degenerated into regrettable acts of violence” and called for “calm”.

President Nicusor Dan condemned the “extremely serious” violence and “any attempt to turn a legitimate protest into street fighting” in a social media post.

Romanian shepherds had protested outside the government building at the end of July over the EU ban on live sheep exports, which expires at the end of 2026.

The country of 19 million people has been struggling for months with the highest inflation in the EU and a political crisis with no end in sight.

The pro-European government, which adopted austerity measures to rein in a high budget deficit, was brought down in a no-confidence motion in May, and a divided parliament has failed to confirm a successor.

2000名农民在极右翼团体的支持下抗议延长牲畜出口禁令，数十人受伤。

2026年9月15日，在罗马尼亚首都布加勒斯特，罗马尼亚牧羊人、农民及其支持者在政府总部外举行抗议活动时，与防暴警察发生冲突，防暴警察向他们喷射催泪瓦斯。[Robert Ghement/EPA]

防暴警察与罗马尼亚牧羊人和农民发生冲突，当时他们因抗议政府禁止牲畜出口（原因是疾病）而举行骚乱。

周二，约2000人在首都布加勒斯特集会示威，抗议欧盟因高传染性小反刍动物瘟疫而延长活羊出口禁令。与近年来欧洲各地农民的其他抗议活动一样，此次集会也得到了极右翼势力的鼓励和支持。

罗马尼亚港口无人机爆炸事件引发对乌克兰战争蔓延的担忧（共 1 条）

在布加勒斯特的罗马尼亚政府大楼前，一些要求撤销禁令的抗议者开始向执法人员投掷石块、金属路障和其他物品，引发了暴力冲突。

警方使用催泪瓦斯驱散人群。防暴警察在新闻稿中称，共有26人被拘留。

24名示威者和警察需要接受治疗——一些人骨折，另一些人则因催泪瓦斯的影响。其中4人住院治疗。

政府和反对派呼吁示威者避免暴力行为。

2026年9月15日，在罗马尼亚首都布加勒斯特，一名罗马尼亚抗议者在罗马尼亚政府总部外与防暴警察发生争执。[Robert Ghement/EPA]

这次示威活动是由农民和牧民团体发起的。抗议者举着横幅，呼吁该国总统和总理辞职。

一些人高喊极右翼政治家卡林·乔治斯库的名字，他曾是总统候选人，因2024年总统选举被宣布无效而面临违反宪法秩序的审判。

在抗议活动开始前，乔治斯库的支持者们在社交媒体上发布消息，呼吁人们加入。

罗马尼亚主要极右翼团体“罗马尼亚人联盟”（AUR）的领导人乔治·西蒙在脸书上写道：“AUR与农民和所有罗马尼亚劳动人民站在一起”，但他呼吁抗议者进行和平示威。

“从合法抗议到街头斗殴”

罗马尼亚政府在一份新闻稿中表示，抗议活动“已经演变成令人遗憾的暴力行为”，并呼吁“保持冷静”。

总统尼库索尔·丹在社交媒体上发帖谴责了“极其严重的”暴力行为以及“任何将合法抗议活动演变为街头斗殴的企图”。

7 月底，罗马尼亚牧羊人在政府大楼外举行抗议活动，反对欧盟禁止活羊出口的禁令，该禁令将于 2026 年底到期。

这个拥有 1900 万人口的国家几个月来一直饱受欧盟最高通货膨胀率和看不到尽头的政治危机的困扰。

为控制高额预算赤字而采取紧缩措施的亲欧派政府在5月份的不信任投票中下台，而分裂的议会未能确认继任者。