Die Rote Fahne Austria on Police Exercise in Romania
We hereby share an unofficial translation of an article published by Rote Fahne Austria on October 18.
Romania – “Carpathian Blue Shield 2026”: International Police Exercise to Quell Protests to “Protect the Citizens”
Between September 27 and October 2 an international police exercise took place in Romania. 500 participants from 19 countries of three continents partook in the exercise “Carpathian Blue Shield 2026” in Romania and trained for a “case of emergency” – that is, to quell violent demonstrations and how to handle unrest.
Romania is not only geographically very close to the war in Ukraine; as an EU and NATO member, one of the biggest NATO bases was established there as recently as 2024. In recent years, the country has regularly served as the site of NATO military exercises. In addition to the ability to use these bases and NATO-affiliated areas, one of the largest transnational police exercises was once again conducted in Romania. The “democratic significance” of such an exercise was emphasized as follows: “The preparation of law enforcement agencies not only contributes to increasing operational capacities but also to strengthening the institutions’ ability to uphold the law and public order and to protect citizens’ rights.” Police forces from Moldova, Bulgaria, Ukraine, the US, and “other Western European countries” thus practiced for a “case of emergency.” Tactical scenarios were staged to train participants in how to combat “rioters throwing projectiles,” barricades, and attacks on public buildings. In other words, a situation that those in power take seriously, as is currently the case in France with the student protests.
The fact that the contradictions between the ruling classes and the peoples of the world are ever increasing, that rebellions are growing stronger and more frequent and that they have become a graver threat to the ruling classes, can not only be seen in exercises such as this one and the preparations by the ruling classes, but also in accords and initiatives, that are aimed not at the “protection of the citizens”, but the “protection of the public order”, which can be translated as: protection of the current imperialist order.
