Starting on 17 December 1989, during the revolution at Timișoara, the protesters began waving flags with the Communist coat of arms cut out of the middle. The coat of arms was perceived as a symbol of Nicolae Ceaușescu's dictatorship. These flags were called "the flag with the hole" ("drapelul cu gaură"). Even today, these flags are occasionally waved in the wake of certain street protests, especially regarding government misconduct.