I love the look on Ceausescu’s face when he knew the people turned on him. Every leader everywhere in the world should fear the people, not the other way around.

He opened his address by sending his sincerest revolutionary wishes to the crowd. They ultimately sent those wishes right back his way.

"Please sit down!" There are no chairs and everyone is standing. This guy was a comedic genius!🤣

I remember this happening on all the news programs and I think that it was the perfect definition of “being on the wrong side of history”.

If only he had said 'Alo' one more time, they would have calmed down and he'd still be alive.

I was kid back then. I remember my father came back home shot in the leg. My father was a captain in the army was sent to defend the Airport to keep Ceausescu from leaving. My mother a doctor was kept at the hospital. I was home. Outside it was chaos, people shouting, you could hear gun shots. That's all I remember.

I was in Germany then, a French TV streamed astounding coverage for hours including the executions. I'll never forget it - I was also astonished the many interviews by the TV channel - so many Romanians on the streets spoke excellent French.

An incredible important moment in history. When a tyrant realizes he is no longer feared!

This is a fascinating historical document, the downfall of a leader on tape.

“We must demonstrate our strength and unity...” “No, no, not by overthrowing me! HELP!”

Romania deserves more praise for this. He ended like a 90s movie villain.

I read a book that said the disturbance was caused by someone who got up and shouted, “ Timisoara!” in reference to the police crackdown that had occurred there, and it lit some sort of fuse. The people had had enough of him and he got what was coming to him.

One of the greatest things ever broadcast on live TV honestly.

Legend says he's still shouting "Alo"

When he told his people they would have to sacrifice even more, the collective anger rose up with such intensity that his time was up. You can see it in his face.

I was only 14 when this happened. I remember seeing it on television. My father was happy about it. With all of the suffering that was caused by these 2 for over 2 decades. Romania was far better after. I know now living in America for the last 26 years that something like this would never happen here. Although it seems like this current regime is about as corrupt as they come. It all comes down to accountability.

He hadn't the slightest idea what's going on, he just lived in the bubble for twenty-five years.

“A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence.”

1989年は大事件が多かったですが、年末のルーマニア革命は衝撃的でした。

I still remember this. Was in high school and sitting at home due to having a spare. In those days there wasn’t anything on tv during the day so watch this dude. Had no idea what I was watching until a few weeks later I saw him on the news saying they killed him.

That look on his face when he realizes he lost the country is priceless.

My girlfriend in the late 80's in Chicago was born and raised in Bucharest, Romania. She immigrated to the U.S as a ten year old child with her mother, sister, and brother, along with her Uncles family, not long after her father was arrested and disappeared in Bucharest. She said her father was a simple factory worker, ten hours per day, six days a week. He drank, and when he did, she said, he would often talk badly about the government, meaning Ceausescu....One late night the police banged on the door. They told her father that he didn't even need a coat, "you will be coming directly home", she told me she heard a policeman say. But she said her father, whom she'd never seen cry, was crying, telling her mother to take good care of the kids. She never saw her dad again. No word, no nothing. Ceausescu was a piece of shit murderer. He got what he deserved

This will be soon be repeated in other nations.

The world have many of them now, unfortunately

Mr. Ceaușescu that was a great and inspiring speech, thank you. Would you and Mrs Ceaușescu be so kind as to stand over at that wall so we can uhhhh...'take a picture', please thank you!

When cheer shifts to angry roar; when fear fades away, the dictator trembles.

I remember I was 10 years old when the Ceaușescu couple was executed, and I still remember that I was allowed to watch the news here in Norway, showing the dead bodies of them, on the news by my father, because it was a historical event, when communism was falling. I'm still very grateful for this, and felt it made an interest in politics and history inherent in me.

It's really amazing how he went from cruel tyrant to helpless Oldman

I remember how clearly out of touch he was. How he couldn't comprehend just how truly hated he was, right to the end. I wasnt surprised by the events that followed.

I love how that big fat thug comes up behind him and says "we're screwed!" before running into the building!

Even after all these years i get a huge amount of satisfaction watching this.

He just knew it was over when everyone started shouting "Timişoara". For a bit of context on December 17, a revolution broke out in Timişoara (west Transylvania), and the Bucharest protest (which this speech is part of) was planned as a counter-action to what was going on in Timişoara. The 80 thousand people present in Bucharest were all moved to the city square by the communist regime and were supposed to stand besides the leader to send a message to the west. It commonly believed that a single person started booing Ceauşescu, and then a lot of others joined in, at which point you can see him freeze and stop mid-sentence. The person denying the praise of the leader is kind of a Romanian August Landmasser, mainly because nobody knows who the exact person really was, but there's a whole myth around him. The thing we can certainly say is that this person played a very important role in stomping the communist regime in Romania.

This never gets old.

1:23 a moment he realized that he is over. A moment of fear - when you know you are done. That video is classic. Greets from Poland for all Romanian patriots.

Надо видеть как это лицо меняется когда возгласы толпы из приветствия и восхищения перерастают в гул презрения и ненависти)) Думаю тогда он осознал что для него все кончено. Я уверен что однажды на одном из таких публичных выступлений в каких нибудь Лужниках произойдет нечто, чего мы может быть сами от себя не ожидаем.

It's crazy to think that Ceausescu had just about every opportunity following this moment to take responsibility and attempt to moderate his policies to appease the uprising, but in nearly every instance he doubled down, accusing his opponents of being "traitors" serving "western interests" right up to his execution.

When I was posted to Romania, in the Autumn of 1989, my boss's first words to me were, "This is a place where nothing is as it seems."

I was born and lived in Hungary till my 21st birthday. Hungary lies beside Romania and was under communist control until 1989. I remember his execution being all over the hungarian news. I was 4. Being a toddler I did not understand communism and dictatorship All I understood was love. I asked my dad why was everyone hating him so much and he always found a way to explain me everything in a way I was able to understand it. He said " you know son it is because he was a bastard and kept all the sausages and ham to himself but would not give any to his people so they starved for years". I instantly understood and felt the weight of what he did. Thanks Dad for everything you taught me about compassion and decency. Love you

This needs to happen everywhere..start with the unelected at Davos.

I was a non destructive testing inspection-engineer for an American company and was send to Rumenia in 1984 to inspect a quantity of steel seamless pipe bought by an Austrian company from a Rumenian steel-mill.The steel-mill was in the northern part of the country in a town called Roman. Having lived for my whole life in Holland and Italy i was so surprised to see the living conditions of the Rumenian people. They were all dressed as beggars and you never saw people smiling on the streets. Girls came by the hotel to offer themselves for escort services. The lights in town went out at 21.00 in the evening and i was told the heating as well. The roads were hideous, the stores were almost completely empty, te only cars were from the police forces. The steel-mill we worked in was an old tired mill with turn of the century equipment and the quality of the pipe was really terrible, had to reject over 60% of the production. It was also an extremely dangerous environment, cables of the cranes worn out, no protectionbarriers, very poor personal gear for the workers, sparks from the electrical wiring everywhere. There were over 7000 people working in the mill but the parking was completely empty but for a few cars from the higher management. People arrived at the job walking from the town which was 4 km away from the mill. Of course we were based in the best hotel available in the area and had all the "luxury" not available to the Rumenian people (such as running water, electricity, decent food). The factory workers (lovely people) i met gave me some more information about their living conditions though in a very veiled manner. There was an engineer who spoke English and he had to stay with us during all the time we were inside the the steel-mill, probably to check on us. He did not like us to talk politics or telling workers about the living standards of a western factory worker. I always felt really bad about all my privileges when i returned at home and remember i was so happy for the Rumenian people when they finally got rid of that terrible dictator i almost cried.

the last days / moments of Nicolae Ceausescu is actually very fascnating , something happened, the people grew brave and were ready to risk everything, they wanted their history and country back

Who else was referred to this speech from Yuval Noah Harari's Homo Deus?

"Smithers, are they booing me?" "Uh no, they are saying '"boo-urns, boo-urns."

"Please sit down" Bro was a menace

How incredible for a revolution to be documented on tape. We hear so much about the French, Russian, and American revolutions from historians and textbooks, but to actually see it unfold is amazing.

I love how he didn't expected it. This is how all dictators should fall, with their people judging them. This should be an exemple for us citizens

Bravo Romanian people you did good!

It's amazing how long it takes an autocrat to realize that their time is up.

What is impressive is the face of Ceausescu: the collapse of a regime in few minutes.

It was similar in Czechoslovakia. The communist chief Miroslav Stepan spoke to the workers in the factory. It was November 23, 1989. The workers began to whistle. He didn't expect that. It was a legendary moment.

At the 01:42 minute, the right translation is "come inside the building!" (said to Ceaușescu by the security officer) and not "they are entering the building".

Awesome recording!! Thank you for posting!

You can hear Elena shouting in the background too. She was just as vile and more ruthless than he was.

I remember this - I was a child but remember seeing the news but not understanding until years later what happened. The people's revenge for twenty-five years of tyranny.

I still remember when he left the building by helicopter.I was 19 years old when watching it on tv over here in the Netherlands.I was glad to see that the brave citizens didn,t took that sh*t from him any longer.👍

Ceausescu should've sung from the podium "don't cry for me, Romania. the truth is I never left you."

Gotta respect Romanians for their boldness against dictators. We lack it here in Russia

1:22 Ceausescu: Why do I hear boss music?

It’s a weird thought that this video is an only 30+ years old

Romanian language is really fascinating. Sounds like a child of Roman father and Slavic mother. :D

I'm Brazilian and I can understand a lot from his speech without the subtitles, given the fact that Romanian is really close to Portuguese, given its Latin origins. It has some Russian words tho, as "tovarisch", the Russian for "comrade".

He was about as deaf and clueless as they come

One highlight and glory of the 80s was the fall of the communism. It's only unfortunate that what came after did not benefit the countries. I remember an old Russian joke, "Everything the Soviets told us about communism was a lie but everything they told us about capitalism was true" or something along those lines. It is especially true in Russia where private interests ruthlessly exploit the population.

I rejoiced when this was first on the news. A great way to end the 80s!

1:23 is the key moment, when several firecrackers exploded near The Hilton Hotel (located to Ceausescu's right). Those who fired them were deceivingly shouting "Trag in noi!" ("THEY'RE SHOOTING AT US"!). The shout spread into the crowd and grew in intensity while panic installed (the crescendo of the screams is easily noticeable between 1:25-1:37). Shortly after, other firecrackers exploded even louder (when somebody was heard saying "Someone is shooting"). At 1:41 the subtitles are misplaced, the security agent actually says: "Vino-n sediu!" ("COME INSIDE!") than turns away, opens the door behind Ceausescu and waits for him to react. Ceausescu immediately lowers his right hand (making a decision) than raises his hand after deciding to stay put, he realized nobody was shooting. Meanwhile, the security agent looks back at Ceausescu and understands he's ignoring the call... Outside, the crowd believed someone was shooting at them from the back so they either left the square or pushed forward toward the balcony. They were mere workers from the nearby factories and had no idea of what was really going on. Those who set up The Coup had at first agitated the people so they can convince Ceausescu to flee ("Come inside!"), than urged the crowd against him for shooting at them and than fleeing. The Coup was set up by a group of influential Romanian communists who received Soviet approval and were promoting Ion Iliescu to replace Ceausescu. Ironically, "I wish to thank the initiators and organizers" was The Signal. 1:09. Four days later, Ceausescu was executed. All the above facts were testified 15 years later by some of the accomplices.

There has been a disturbance in the force

History in the making. What a great video, such good commentary

I dream of a day like this in Egypt

I was born on January 1990 in Bucharest. My parents told me that when they took me out of the hospital, the army was still in the streets of Bucharest and random people would ask my parents wether I'm a girl or a boy. Most of these people would tell my parents to name me Victoria, because "we are victorious", communism is gone.

It's a real life Emperor has no clothes moment...

It was at this moment… he knew he had fucked up…

Hi, I am currently working on a project where we interview people impacted by a historical event. I chose to do the Romanian Revolution because it is a fascinating event in which the Romanian people managed to unite together to overthrow a dictator. I would like to interview someone who has experienced the Romanian Revolution and was old enough to have remembered their experiences during the revolution. I plan on having an interview from 15 - 20 minutes via Zoom in English and videotape it. The recording will only be utilized for my school project, and I will not show the interviewee’s face unless given permission to. Please leave a comment if you or any potential candidates you know would like to be interviewed. Thank you!

we are blessed to have such footage at our fingertips (literally)

That look on his face when they start booing makes me smile.

This is the best real life "It was at this moment he knew he fucked up" moment ever caught on camera.

Put 1/2 in the caption so that people know that there is part two. I almost left this page when I saw it accidentally.

2:20 me when my friend goes afk during the middle of the game

My dad went skiing in Romania in 1987/1988. His whole group was followed constantly by the secret police and a revolutionist set himself on fire near the ski resort in protest of the regime. Scary times

In 4 days from this speech, the dictator and his wife were executed. Let it be the fate of all dictators.

It's often forgotten that Ceausescu was very popular in his younger years. Those demonstrations he often held are recreations of an actually spontaneous one which he led in 1968 to protest the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. He was beloved by the people for being the only communist leader who was willing to assert his nation's independence and stand up to the USSR. He gradually fell from grace in the 80s as the economy stagnated and shortages ensued.

Все диктаторы совершают одну и ту же ошибку - им кажется , что они бессмертные и неуязвимые... Но все они плохо заканчивают свою жизнь. Ничему их история не учит.

He sounds like my boss giving an xmas-party speech.

If you play at. 25 speed you can pinpoint the second his heart rips in half.

reminds me of the balcony-scene of the Dutch royal family this year (2023). They had a Potemkin moment, when the crowd booed at them and they kept waving and smiling, as if the people love them, because they are after all the royal family. An that is what the people are for.

So we never got to hear the end of the speech. That must have been frustrating for regular listeners.

I loved how he kept shouting "Keep calm!" hysterically!

Ruthless Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was shocked and scared by the sudden defiance of his subjects. People`s pent-up anger was unleashed at once.

I'm proud to be a man who fought in this Revolution , a revolition that ended the dictatorial regime in this beautiful country !!

Him yelling 'Alo' is like a teacher who cant keep the class quiet

This was the best film quality I’ve ever seen of this. I’d love to see the whole documentary in this quality. In the early 90’s, PBS showed a documentary on this, which I’ve always wanted to see again, but can’t recall which one it was. There are several out there, but most have terrible film quality. While this was a short clip, the quality was great. Thank you for posting.

As someone not having any idea about the Romanian language, can someone explain to me if it is the language or does he speak oddly like Romanian isn't his first language. To me it seems he has problems to form sentences fluently. Is he not a native speaker, or is he speaking slowly or whatever on purpose? Took me some time but the speech pattern is like someone speaking Latin but not being able to do it fluently. Like an American priest or so talking in Latin. Maybe it's just the fact that there is Latin ancestry in the language?

He knows he is safe, the watch he is wearing transmits a radio signal so that his kidnappers will be caught and he freed, unaware radio signals cannot leave the interior of the tank, as my memory serves me, his holding cell. He was not rescued, and that's how I remember it before watching this video.

It’s strange how it all changed in a moment and he realised he was screwed !

He was surprised as if he saw the Grim Reaper coming at him!

Bio bih "Sretan" za Odgovor Na ovom kanalu Rumuna ili Rumenke naravno malo starije Populacije da mi da svoj odgovor na Pitanje ? Kako se živjelo u njegovo Vladanje Nicolea ?! Hvala na objavi i Nadam se odgovoru !! Pozdrav iz Ex Yugoslavije Bosna i Hercegovina 🇧🇦

The look of a despot facing the just deserts of his fearful rule that stare of knowing hells doors are minutes away ........ PRICELESS! 💀

Absolutely fascinating, misuse of power finally being dealt with. Beware leaders all around the globe.

1:26 the legendary moment

A good lesson for dictators. If they do not want to go voluntarily, they will be made to give up power and their very lives too!

I remember from the TV news in Polish TV they showed as secret police started shooting from a GAZ 4x4 car to the gathered people. But maybe it was a later gathering.