The Romanian people had had enough of Nicolae Ceau?escu's brutal communist regime, and on December 22, 1989, they took a stand. As protests and violence escalated, Ceau?escu and his wife Elena fled Bucharest in a helicopter, leaving behind a trail of bloodshed and chaos. Meanwhile, Ion Iliescu, a former communist leader, emerged as the leader of the National Salvation Front, vowing to bring democracy to Romania. The once-feared dictator was now on the run, and the Romanian people were rejoicing at their newfound freedom.