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1989 19 - 21 December The rally Outrage at the massacre led to a general strike that shuts down Timisoara. In defiance of orders, army officers, who were becoming increasingly disillusioned with Ceausescu's rule, withdrew their forces. The next day, strikes spread to other parts of the country. On his return from Iran, Ceausescu went on state television to announce that any further outbursts would meet with bloody retribution for which he would take full responsibility. The speech only encouraged demonstrators. In Cluj, protesters shouting "Down with Ceausescu, were met with police fire.
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On 21 December, Ceausescu called a "mass meeting" in Bucharest intended to show that he still had strong support. The assembly, made up of 50,000 "enthusiastic" Ceausescu supporters, was carried live on television. But instead of a staged rally, astonished viewers - and a shocked Ceausescu - saw the members of the crowd raise their fists, boo and shout "Ceausescu Dictator". For two minutes television pictures went black.