Thousands of Romanians protested in downtown Bucharest on Sunday, December 10, to rally against the government’s proposed judicial reforms they say will drive the country further into corruption.

The protest was held at Victory Square, a popular intersection in the center of the Romanian capital. Around 10,000 were in attendance chanting in solidarity and holding up signs demanding justice.

According to the European Commission and thousands of magistrates, the new legislation currently being debated by the ruling Social Democrats (PSD) would put the judicial system under political control and halt anti-corruption efforts.

Protests also took place in other Romanian cities including Cluj-Napoca in the country’s northwest, where demonstrators staged a noise rally clanging spoons and pots, and in the eastern city of Iasi, which drew a crowd of about 200. Credit: Anonymous via Storyful