Ceausescu held a rally in Bucharest on December 21, 1989. His goons packed the audience with the most reliable Romanians they could find. The televised speech would reassure the country that Ceausescu remained in control and was as popular as ever. Boos from the crowd began just a few minutes after he began to speak. Then came the chants of “Timisoara!” and “We are the People!”. The moment where Ceausescu realized the crowd had turned against him, the second he paused and looked confused at the impossible becoming real, was broadcast live throughout Romania. Then the screen went blank.
