In brief
The gendarmerie said images of people imitating its uniforms kneeling before a crowd were generated with artificial intelligence and were wrongly linked to the protest outside the Bucharest Court of Appeal on Friday, 23 October.
The Bucharest Court of Appeal admitted DIICOT's appeal in a 1.1 million euro fraud case, and the ruling is final. Georgescu has been in pretrial detention since 29 September.
Messages calling for protests appeared on the Telegram group 'Călin Georgescu COMUNITATEA OFICIALĂ', which Alina Turturea created and administers. G4Media counted around 300 to 400 supporters outside the court.
Fake images circulate online
The Romanian Gendarmerie warned on Friday, 23 October, that images circulating on social media showed people in outfits imitating gendarmerie uniforms kneeling before a crowd waving the national flag. The pictures spread widely on TikTok with captions such as 'The gendarmes give way' and 'The gendarmes have yielded to the protesters'. The institution said the images were generated with artificial intelligence and were wrongly linked to a public gathering held that day outside the Bucharest Court of Appeal. A collage shared by the gendarmerie carried an 'AI generated' label, which appears on some content made with artificial intelligence.
Official denial
The gendarmerie said the scene did not occur at any event its officers attended, including the protest outside the court.
“The images are false, and such an action did not take place at today's protest at the Bucharest Court of Appeal or at any other event.”
The institution described the material as an effort to disinform and mislead public opinion. It urged users to treat such content with caution, report it urgently and check information against official sources. The gendarmerie also noted that in 2025 it had been forced to refute a viral TikTok claim that 30% of its gendarmes were foreign citizens.
Court keeps Georgescu in detention
On the same Friday, the Bucharest Court of Appeal ruled that former presidential candidate Călin Georgescu must remain in custody in a fraud case involving 1.1 million euros. The panel admitted an appeal filed by DIICOT against a Bucharest Tribunal decision that had placed him under house arrest. The ruling is final. Georgescu has been in pretrial detention since 29 September. Around 300 to 400 supporters gathered outside the court, chanting 'Călin Georgescu is president', according to G4Media.
Calls to mobilize online
After the decision was announced, messages calling for protests appeared on the main Telegram group of Georgescu's supporters, 'Călin Georgescu COMUNITATEA OFICIALĂ'. The group was created and administered by Alina Turturea, who according to Rise Project contributed to Georgescu's 2024 presidential campaign. Representatives of AUR had used the group to mobilize support for Georgescu. Some members called for hundreds of thousands of people to fill the streets. The articles do not report a turnout beyond the 300 to 400 supporters counted outside the court.