Romanians who live abroad have begun arriving in the country for an anti-government protest where they will call for the left-wing government to resign and early elections.
Expats are staging a protest Friday in Bucharest to protest the way the country is governed. Some of the estimated 3 million Romanians living abroad say they left due to corruption, low wages and lack of opportunities.
Amid fears of violence at the protest, anti-riot police Thursday called for a peaceful demonstration.
Local residents in western Romania greeted compatriots arriving by car late Wednesday with flags and banners opposing the ruling Social Democratic Party.
Hundreds of thousands of Romanians have signed a petition demanding a law that would ban people indicted for corruption and other offenses from office.