Bucharest:
Romania's government survived a no-confidence motion in Parliament on Thursday, but will it survive this shocking incident? In the midst of the no-confidence motion, a distraught TV engineer Adrian Sobaru jumped off Parliament chamber's balcony, unhappy with budget cuts that reduced benefits for his autistic son.
He first perched on the edge of the balcony, gesturing wildly and shouting at the politicians below. Helpless observers watched in horror as the father-of-two plummeted 23 feet.
Footage of the incident recorded a loud thud as Sobaru hit the floor but, astonishingly, he was not seriously injured.
As emergency medical workers took him out on a stretcher, Sobaru mustered up enough energy to shout 'Freedom!'
Prime Minister Emil Boc looked startled and was the first to rush over to Sobaru...he called the incident "a tragedy that shocked him," and appealed for calm.
Sobaru is now in hospital with facial wounds awaiting surgery...he will also undergo psychological counselling.
Romania recently slashed public sector wages by one-fourth while Sales Tax was hiked from 19 to 24 percent.