Peaceful Protest in DC Planned in Support of Christian Family in Norway Whose Children were Seized by Government

News Staff : Jan 7, 2016
bodnariufamily.org

The protest will take place on Friday, January 8, from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Royal Embassy of Norway: 2720 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008.

(Washington, DC)—Hundreds of Romanian-Americans will have a peaceful demonstration in Washington DC denouncing the abuses perpetrated by Norway's (child protection services) BARNEVERNET; impudently abducting all 5 children born to Marius & Ruth Bodnariu.

Romanian-Americans are outraged at the news and reports of events that unfolded in Norway in the last two months in the Bodnariu family's case of confiscation of all their 5 children by Norway's Barnevernet. As such, hundreds of Romanian-Americans from across United States will demonstrate peacefully to show solidarity with the Bodnariu Family who lost custody of all their children through a process that is against international laws and conventions. The demonstrators will voice opposition to Norway's Barnevernet and its inhumane Nazi-like tactics.

Couple charged with 'radical Christianity' and children confiscated

Marius & Ruth's parental, and their collective family's, rights were grossly violated via the unwarranted confiscation of the Bodnariu girls from school and the boys (including the youngest and still nursing 3-month old baby) from home, the arrest of the father, Marius, from work, the unsuccessful coercion of the mother, Ruth, by Norwegian authorities, interrogations of the parents (i.e. Marius & Ruth) without access to a lawyer, and the interrogation of Marius without permitting him access to an interpreter.

Despite Norwegian authorities grossly abusing their power in tearing apart this family, Marius & Ruth, as loving and concerned parents, have transparently and openly complied with all Norwegian authority investigations for the return of their children. Throughout this entire ordeal, Norwegian authorities have employed intimidation tactics and overly excessive zeal to interrogate the Bodnariu children with leading questions designed to inculpate the parents, secure incriminating evidence against the parents, and cover-up evidence supporting the parents in their defense against the irrational, extreme, and unsubstantiated allegations brought against them.

Norwegian authorities have outright admitted, and clarified, that they are unfamiliar with, and uncertain of, the nature and quality of parental care that Marius & Ruth have provided to their children. Yet, these same Norwegian authorities spitefully and malevolently insist on the revocation of Marius & Ruth's parental rights and vindictively continue in expediting proceedings for the reprehensible adoption of Marius & Ruth's children.

Global Outcry on the Bodnariu's Behalf

Marius Bodnariu, father of the 5 children (a Romanian citizen living in Norway married to Ruth—a Norwegian), has most of his family living in United States as naturalized U.S. citizens: both his parents living in the Atlanta-Georgia area together with a married sister, two other married sisters living in the Chicago-Illinois metropolitan area, and another married sister living in the Portland-Oregon area.

Hundreds of Romanian-Americans (community and religious leaders, businessmen and civic leaders) have informed the organizers of their participation to this peaceful protest taking place in Washington DC. They will be coming from metropolitan areas of: Atlanta (Georgia), Chicago (Illinois), Cleveland (Ohio), Dallas (Texas), Denver (Colorado), Detroit (Michigan), Houston (Texas), Los Angeles (California), Miami (Florida), Nashville (Tennessee), New York (New York), Phoenix (Arizona), Portland (Oregon), Reading (Pennsylvania), Sacramento (California), Seattle (Washington), Springfield (Missouri), Union (Missouri), Washington (District of Columbia).

Online Petition

On November 19, 2015 Romanian-American pastor Cristian Ionescu of Chicago launched an online petition in support of the reunification of the Bodnariu family (click here for petition).

Within less than 48 hours this petition gathered over 10,000 signatures. Within less than two weeks it gathered over 25,000 signatures. This petition continues to get attention and signers, at this time having surpassed 46,000 signatures.

Romanian-Americans for Reunification of Bodnariu Family is a group of community and religious leaders, businessmen, and civic leaders acting on behalf of their communities.

There are 38 families that have co-signed an appeal for international attention from the leaders of the European Union to the abuses perpetrated by Norway's Barnevernet and intervention in their respective cases of abduction of their children in Norway.

"Our utter desperation forced us to address you by this letter. It forced us to write you about the reality of unspeakable abuse of power being committed by a supposedly advanced country even as we speak. The country in question is Kingdom of Norway. We are addressing you, because Norway is systematically acting in breach of its legal obligations also against European citizens and their families, causing them great harm. The fact that Norway is not an EU Member State cannot be seen as an excuse this time; quite opposite. It should be the reason for the Community institutions to step in and defend their citizens..." (please access our website for more details)

OTHER SIMILAR DEMONSTRATIONS have taken place while many more are scheduled to take place in front of Royal Norwegian embassies, consulates, and diplomatic missions in Europe, Canada, and the United States.

For more information about #BODNARIUFAMILY and our efforts, visit our web site at: www.bodnariufamily.org.