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Shocking moment Romanian man hurls himself from Parliament balcony in protest at austerity measures... and SURVIVES

By Daily Mail Reporter
Updated: 10:01 EST, 23 December 2010

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Perched on the very edge of a balcony, he gestures wildly, shouting at the politicians in the chamber below.

Seconds later, television engineer Adrian Sobaru hurls himself from the parapet of Romania's parliament.

Helpless observers can only watch in horror as the father-of-two, wearing a white T-shirt proclaiming 'You've pierced us. You've killed our children's future. Freedom,' plummets 23ft the ground.

Protest: Adrian Sobaru clambers up on a balcony at the Romanian parliament in protest at government austerity measures

Horror: He jumps from the balcony towards politicians standing on the floor below

Footage of the incident recorded a loud thud as he hit the floor but, astonishingly, Sobaru was not seriously injured.

As emergency medical workers took him out on a stretcher, Sobaru shouted 'Freedom!' echoing cries of the 1989 revolution that brought down the Communism when more than 1,300 people died.

He is now in hospital with facial wounds awaiting surgery. Medics said he would also have psychological counselling.

It appears that his extreme action was a protest against government austerity measures. Politicians cancelled a no-confidence vote over a public wage law due to be held later today.

Sobaru clambered up on to the balcony shortly after Prime Minister Emil Boc rose to greet the country's politicians.

He was one of the first to rush over to the stricken man before Speaker Mircea Geoana cancelled the session.

Plunge: Sobaru was wearing a T-shirt bearing the words, 'You've killed our children's future. Freedom' He continued to shout 'Freedom' as he was carried from the chamber on a stretcher

Boc later described the incident as 'a tragedy that shocked me,' and appealed for calm 'in these tough times.'

Romania's government is mired in recession and it recently slashed public sector wages by one-fourth.

Sales tax was hiked from 19 to 24 per cent, measures adopted by the government to keep the budget deficit at 6.8 per cent in 2010.

Its economy is expected to decline by two per cent this year, after it contracted by 7.1 per cent in 2009.

The line on Sobaru's T-shirt was a reference to President Traian Basescu, who upon winning the presidential race in 2009 said 'I've pierced them,' using a well-known line from a Romanian movie.

Romanians are commemorating the 21st anniversary of the uprising in which authorities shot unarmed protesters. Many Romanians are angered by government cuts.