The Centenary March () or Centenary March of the Great Union () was a civic demonstration organized by George Simion and various non-governmental organizations from Romania and Moldova, known under the collective name "Alliance for the Centenary". It started in Alba Iulia (Romania) on 1 July 2018 and ended in ChiÃÂinÃÂu (Moldova) on 1 September 2018. Its participants, both Moldovans and Romanians, targeted 300 cities and villages, passing through several points significant for the Great Union (Bessarabia, Bukovina and Transylvania).
The march was 1,300 km long and was initially divided into 11 stages of more or less 5 days each:
In the Centenary March, generally between 20 and 30 km per day were walked on foot. During it, the participants intended to collect one million signatures to launch a referendum on the unification of Moldova and Romania, which was one of the main objectives of the march. Participants were often accompanied by three buses sent by the city hall of IaÃÂi, each with a color of the flag of Romania (blue, yellow and red). They were used as "mobile museums" with images from the First World War and the Great Union. Action 2012 was involved in the march's organization.
On 1 July the Centenary March started in Alba Iulia, in the region of Transylvania. Local authorities and civilians lit the Union Flame in front of the Coronation Cathedral, where Ferdinand I was proclaimed King of Greater Romania, which is the reason why the city was chosen as the starting point. Hundreds of participants, armed with torches, came from both Romania and Moldova. In PiaÃÂa Tricolorului, people gave speeches about the importance of union with Moldova and held a Romanian flag long. They stated that they thought the march was a step forward towards the unification of both states. Afterwards, they started the route towards ChiÃÂinÃÂu. The first stage of the march, from 1 to 5 July, covered a route starting in Alba Iulia, passing through TeiuÃÂ, Unirea, Turda and Cluj-Napoca and ending in CÃÂianu Mic. It was estimated that between 50 and 100 people would participate in this stage of the march. George Simion appealed people to participate in the march:
On 3 July the march abandoned Alba County and arrived in the village of Dumbrava, in Cluj County. At this point, the participants had already passed through TeiuÃÂ, Aiud, Decea and Unirea ever since their start in Alba Iulia. Here, they visited the Dumbrava Monastery, and some hours later, they entered the town of Turda. They went to the Mihai VodÃÂ Monastery of the town, near the Obelisk of Michael the Brave. The latter was a Wallachian prince who briefly ruled for the first time in history the three principalities inhabited by Romanians (Moldavia, Transylvania and Wallachia). Afterwards, they stayed in the city center for a while.
On 4 July the participants arrived in Cluj-Napoca through a gas station at night. They continued the march through several streets of the city, where they found people dressed in traditional Romanian dresses and monarchists with royal flags. Afterwards, they were received in the Dormition of the Theotokos Cathedral, in the Avram Iancu Square, by , metropolitan bishop of the Metropolis of Cluj, Maramureàand SÃÂlaj. They then stopped at the PiaÃÂa Unirii at approximately 21:00, thus walking the first of the march. There, the participants started chanting Basarabia, pÃÂmânt românesc! ("Bessarabia, Romanian land!"). The participants were welcomed by representatives of the municipality of Cluj-Napoca, greeted the people of the city and offered them Romanian tricolor flags and other symbols. Simion appealed to more people to participate in the upcoming ten stages of the march.
On 5 July the first stage of the Centenary March ended in CÃÂianu Mic, in BistriÃÂa-NÃÂsÃÂud County, where the participants received help and support from the locals.
On 7 July the second stage began, which covered CÃÂianu Mic, CÃÂmÃÂraÃÂu, CrÃÂieÃÂti, Reghin, Târgu Mureàand Bahnea. The participants of the first stage passed the Union Flame to those of the second, and these began the journey. Under torrential rains, they crossed LechinÃÂa, where they were received by the mayor Romeo Florian. They also passed through SÃÂrmÃÂÃÂel-Garà(thus entering MureàCounty), Satu Nou and SilivaÃÂu de Câmpie, where the mayor Ioan Dâmbean assisted them. Then, they spent the night in CrÃÂieÃÂti and marched towards Reghin. To face the rain, patriotic songs and unionist messages were sung. Simion stated that although they rarely have breaks, the participants are not tired and are happy to have already traveled a good distance from Alba Iulia. Adrian Balica, a 73-year-old man from GrÃÂtieÃÂti, Moldova, stood out as the oldest participant at the moment.
The participants reached FÃÂrÃÂgÃÂu on 9 July. At the entrances of the village, they were received by the priest Hadrian HoraÃÂiu MÃÂlinaÃÂ and the mayor Ioan MilÃÂÃÂan. Together, they walked to the center of the village while singing a patriotic song. After having lunch and talking with the natives for two hours, the participants resumed their way to Reghin. They arrived in the afternoon, and found that the inhabitants of the city had prepared a special reception for them at 18:00 in the parking lot of a restaurant. The authorities congratulated the participants for this initiative and urged them to continue taking the Union Flame to Bessarabia. Fanfares were played, traditional dances were performed and bread and salt was shared.
On 10 July the participants arrived in Târgu MureÃÂ. They reported that, during the journey through MureàCounty, the march was supported by many local mayors and Eastern Orthodox priests. At the entrance to the city, a small march was made in front of the Ascension of the Lord Cathedral, shouting Mureàvrea Unire! (Mureàwants the Union!). Several ordinary citizens, as well as members of various associations such as the New Right Association, the Civic Forum of the Romanians of Covasna, Harghita and MureÃÂ, or the Free Dacians Association, among others, attended the marchers in the city. The city council of Târgu Mureàoffered accommodation and food for the participants.
By 13 July the Centenary March was in the village of Bahnea.
The third stage of the march would begin on 13 July. The participants of the second stage, while still in Bahnea, gave the Union Flame to those who would participate in the third one. This stage would take place in Bahnea, Hoghilag, SighiÃÂoara, Agnita, Nocrich and Sibiu. Therefore, the same day, the participants arrived in SighiÃÂoara. Here, they visited the Historic Centre of SighiÃÂoara and stayed at night at a lyceum. The City Council of IaÃÂi decided to send three buses collectively known as the "Union Caravan" (Caravana Unirii) to the march, each with a color of the Romanian flag (blue, yellow and red). These buses were intended to be used as "museums on wheels" about the centenary of the Great Union. However, Dan CoÃÂcaru, a journalist from the city, complained about the activities that were taking place on the march (parties and drinking) and that the buses were being ignored.
On 14 July the march left in the morning and went to DaneÃÂ, where the city council housed them. CoÃÂcaru complains that Simion left the buses in SighiÃÂoara and did not notify the bus drivers where they had to go next.
On 15 July the participants passed through DumbrÃÂveni and MediaÃÂ and reached CopÃÂa MicÃÂ, all of them in Sibiu County and walking approximately . This town had already sent a delegation to Alba Iulia on the first day of the march. The authorities of the town received and prepared a dinner for them. As there was not enough accommodation, the local fire department permitted the participants to stay there during the night. Although the mayor of CopÃÂa MicÃÂ offered the participants another night in the town, these left in the morning and marched towards Slimnic and Sibiu. CoÃÂcaru reports that the following night, in Slimnic, a drunk participant who believed his luggage was stolen threatened to kill one of the bus drivers. Half an hour later, his luggage was found and the situation calmed down.
On 17 July, around noon, the Centenary March finally reached Sibiu, thus ending the third stage and completing . Upon arrival, the participants received a blessing from the priest at the Holy Trinity Cathedral urging them not to give up and to fight for unification. Afterwards, they marched to the city's PiaÃÂa Mare ("Grand Square") while singing TrÃÂiascÃÂ, trÃÂiascÃÂ, trÃÂiascàÃÂi înfloreascÃÂ, Moldova, Ardealul ÃÂi ÃÂara RomâneascÃÂ! ("Long live, long live, long live and flourish, Moldavia, Transylvania and Wallachia!"). Once there, they held hands, sang patriotic songs, talked with the locals and shared flags, calendars and nationalist insignias. They were also received by the . Simion insisted that despite the difficulties, they would not give up. He also said that many people were greeting and helping them. An appeal was made for volunteers to donate more water, food, sleeping bags and shoes for the participants. The offered to the participants rooms to pass the night. The three buses accompanied the march all day.
On 18 July the march left Sibiu to start the fourth stage with the Union Flame with them. This stage ran through Sibiu, Brezoi, TuÃÂuleÃÂti, the Cozia Monastery, Râmnicu Vâlcea and Curtea de ArgeÃÂ. From Sibiu, the participants arrived at Turnu RoÃÂu and stayed in its monastery during the night. The next day, the participants crossed the Carpathians through the Olt Valley, a risky path due to the poor conditions of the road, not suitable for the cross of people, many of whom wore reflective vests. They arrived in Brezoi (Vâlcea County, in the region of Wallachia), where a blues festival was taking place. They said that they would have liked to spend the night there, but since they did not know about the festival, they had planned to spend the night elsewhere. They also reached TuÃÂuleÃÂti and the Cozia Monastery in CÃÂlimÃÂneÃÂti, where they were well received but had to leave quickly due to delay.
On 21 July the march arrived in FedeleÃÂoiu, where they were warmly congratulated by the population. These gave them food, fresh water and flowers. They visited the FedeleÃÂoiu Monastery, where priests and other persons in traditional costumes greeted them with the typical local cuisine. The same day, they went to the city of Râmnicu Vâlcea, entering through the east of the city and being at 18:30 in front of the city council. The three buses arrived much earlier, at 11:00, and stayed at the Mircea cel BÃÂtrân Park with an exhibition about the Great Union. Many were interested in them, and they stayed in the city center until night. Some thought they were buses of political parties; they associated the red one with the PSD, the yellow one with the PNL and the blue one with the PMP. A priest invited the participants to the St. Dumitru Church and offered them a blessing, to which they responded by singing the song Când a fost sàmoaràÃÂtefan ("When Stephen was about to die"). The police also received them, checking that the march did not consist of any type of propaganda.
On 22 July the fourth stage of the march ended in Curtea de ArgeÃÂ (the first Wallachian capital), covering around in total since the start of the march. The participants arrived in the city in the afternoon, at approximately 19:20. The first destination was the Princely Church. Here, they met with several citizens, with whom they marched towards the Curtea de ArgeÃÂ Cathedral. Along the way, they were greeted and applauded by the population. Once there in the cathedral, they met the priest Adrian Enache, who talked to them about the tomb of the Wallachian ruler Neagoe Basarab, as well as the ones of kings Carol I and Ferdinand I and the queens Elisabeth and Marie. Afterwards, they went to the Municipal Museum and visited the bust of Michael the Brave. The march was received by the mayor and vice mayor, who offered accommodation, and by the Archdiocese of ArgeÃÂ and Muscel, who donated food to it. Again, the buses arrived earlier, at 10:30, and showed its exhibition to the population. Corbi, a village in the area, also offered them a place during the night.
On 27 August 2018, although the participants did not encounter any problems with the Romanian Border Police, the authorities of the Republic of Moldova did not allow them to enter under the pretext of "disturbance of the public order in the border area". When Romania asked for an explanation for this ban two days later, the Moldovan authorities allowed the participants to enter with the exception of Simion, who was returned to Romania without a clear explanation. At first he was banned from entering Moldova for 24 hours, but after he tried to enter again, he was banned for 2 months. Despite the obstacles from the Moldovan authorities, the Centenary March was welcomed by thousands of enthusiasts, ending in a demonstration at the Great National Assembly Square in ChiÃÂinÃÂu.