ABSTRACT
In an apparent effort to silence articulate critics during a period of social tension, the authorities arrested most of the prominent dissidents in early December. By detaining or holding them under house arrest at a time of spreading social protests, the authorities managed to isolate them from protesting groups of workers and students, and to silence an important source of information about the situation in the country. In response to the increase of dissident activity and social protests, the Romanian authorities took legal action against some of the workers arrested after the Brasov demonstration and cracked down on the dissident community. The mathematician and former top economic adviser, Mihai Botez, a leading figure among Romania's dissidents, issued a statement observing that the events in Brasov ought not to have surprised anyone; they had been almost predictable. The demonstration against the government's economic measures were only a part of the wider public discontent with the party, the government, and the system.
