Romania: Protests against biometric passports

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)

A few hundred Romanians gathered on 1 February 2009 to protest against the
introduction of the obligatory biometric passports starting with the
beginning of 2009.

The event comes after the first passports with biometric identifiers
(including fingerprints) were issued at the end of January in the county of
Ilfov, as a first implementation in the country. The decision was heavily
contested by several prominent members of the Orthodox Church that consider
it as the first step towards the introduction of biometric identifiers in
all ID cards, which is a direct action against freedom of religion and
freedom of expression or the right to a private life.

A few civil society pro-orthodox groups, gathered under the name “Coalition
against the Police State”, started on online petition, with more than 15 000
signatures, calling for a stop to the biometric passports and biometric
driving licences, until the situation has been properly explained by the
authorities. The coalition also organized the event on 1 February in front
of the Patriarchy Palace and announced that one lawyer started a civil
action in court in order to stop the Government Decision that allows the
issuing of the biometric passports.

The people protesting presented banners stating: “Let us choose!” or
“Support the Church ! Refuse the implant!”. Several speakers expressed their
concern that imposing obligatory biometric IDs is an attempt to make humans
same as cattle as a first step to Total Control from the state. Others have
considered that the new electronic chip contains the number 666, which, in
their opinion, means the first step towards the Apocalypse. The extreme
right-wing party Noua Dreapta has joined the demonstration with their
specific flags.

The Romanian Patriarchy Orthodox Church refused to publicly support the
events, calling for calm and prayers, but at the same time asked the
Romanian Government more information regarding the new biometric
passports. An official opinion should be issued after their meeting in 27-28
February 2009.

A similar event on 4 February organized by the Coalition against the Police
State gathered more than 100 persons with images with politicians looking
like sheep. The organizers protested about the fact that no public debate
was intiated by the Government in order to asses the social, economical and
religious impact of the decision to have obligatory biometric passports.

In both events the participants also protested against the new law on data
retention, explained as the law that will permit authorities to “record and
keep all the electronic communications of the Romanian citizens.”

Another civil society organization – Civil Society Commissariat announced
that it has sued its own telecom provider Orange to oblige it to respect
the contractual obligations regarding the confidentiality of the
communications.Thus, the provider should not implement the data retention
law. The organization wants to use this opportunity to challenge the law to
the Constitutional Court based on the right to privacy.

Protest of several NGOs to the introduction of chips in IDs (only in
Romanian, 1.02.2009)
http://www.mediafax.ro/social/protest-al-mai-multor-ong-uri-fata-de-introducerea-de-chip-uri-in-acte.html?1688;3846781

Government – accused by hundreds of christens that it has started the
apocalypse of the Passport Chip (only in Romanian, 1.02.2009)
http://www.gandul.info/actualitatea/guvernul-acuzat-de-sute-de-crestini-ca-a-dezlantuit-apocalipsa-cipului-din-pasaport.html?3927;3848284

Photos from the 1.02.2009 event (2.02.2009)
http://victor-roncea.blogspot.com/2009/02/foto-info-demonstratia-anti-cip.html

Romanian Petition against biometric passports
http://www.petitiononline.com/NU666/petition.html

The Civil Society Commisariat asks the annulment of the law on telephony
data retention (only in Romanian, 4.02.2009)
http://www.frontnews.ro/social-si-economic/eveniment/comisariatul-pentru-societatea-civila-cere-anularea-legii-privind-stocarea-datelor-telefonice-22299

EDRi-gram: Romania: Is really privacy a topic in the public debate?
(28.01.2009)
http://www.edri.org/edri-gram/number7.2/romania-privacy-in-public-debate