Romanian president Nicușor Dan has strongly condemned the assault of an Asian food delivery worker in Bucharest, calling it an intolerable act of xenophobic violence and urging authorities to treat it as a hate crime. He said, “Anyone living and working here deserves protection and equal treatment. It is not hate that defines us Romanians, but solidarity, hospitality, and tolerance.”
The attack occurred on the evening of August 26 in the capital’s District 2, when a 20-year-old man struck the delivery worker in the face while shouting that he was an “invader” and demanding he return to his country. The incident was filmed by the attacker himself and later gained widespread attention after former police officer Marian Godină posted the video online (see below).
The confrontation ended when an off-duty police officer, Andrei Jianu, stepped in. Jianu said he had just left his shift when he saw the assault and ran after the suspect, eventually restraining him with the help of colleagues.
A court has since ordered the attacker into 30 days of pre-trial detention. Prosecutors say the man acted with the intent of forcing the victim to leave Romania, confirming that the case is being investigated as racially motivated.
The delivery worker, reportedly from Bangladesh, sustained minor injuries requiring up to two days of medical care.
In a public statement, president Dan expressed solidarity with the worker and condemned the rise of xenophobic rhetoric in Romania.
“I firmly condemn the aggression against a young man who came to work in Bucharest, who was hit and humiliated simply because he wasn’t born here. Such acts are intolerable,” he said. “In recent weeks, voices inciting hatred against foreigners have spread in the public space. And words have real, sometimes dramatic consequences.”
The president also praised the police officer for his swift and courageous intervention and drew a parallel with the experiences of Romanians working abroad.
“We know too well what it means to seek your chance far from home and family,” he said. “Anyone living and working here deserves protection and equal treatment. It is not hate that defines us Romanians, but solidarity, hospitality, and tolerance.”
The assault came against a backdrop of heightened anti-immigrant rhetoric in Romanian politics. Earlier this month, AUR vice president Dan Tanasă wrote on Facebook that Romanians should refuse food deliveries handled by workers from Africa or Asia. The post was denounced by civil society groups, and Marian Godină said he had filed a criminal complaint accusing Tanasă of inciting discrimination.
In response to the incident, the AUR politician rejected claims that his posts may have encouraged the attack. In a new statement, he accused media of exaggerating his influence, saying: “I am glad to see that, for some journalists, Dan Tanasă is such a powerful force that he could instantly generate incidents on the streets of Bucharest. If I had that power, I would use it to build hospitals in every city, highways across the Carpathians, and decent salaries for Romanians.”
He argued that violence in Romanian cities stems from what he called “failed government policies,” not his remarks, and insisted his position was about protecting Romanians’ safety, not targeting people based on origin.
irina.marica@romania-insider.com
(Photo source: Inquam Photos/George Calin)
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