( CNN ) -- Romanian Interior Minister Vasile Blaga resigned Monday , three days after thousands of policemen rallied outside the presidential palace protesting a 25 percent pay cut . Blaga called his decision to leave a `` resignation of honor , '' adding he can not accept that the whole ministry is to be blamed for the actions of some protesters , which he called mistakes . The Interior Ministry oversees the police force . The protests prompted President Traian Basescu to call for an inquiry into discipline problems at the ministry . But Blaga said Monday the actions of 6,000 policemen can not impugn the 150,000 employees who make up the ministry . `` I do n't think one 's gesture should be extended to all the ministry 's employees , '' he said . About 6,000 Romanian policemen protested in front of the palace in Bucharest on Friday , many throwing their caps into the yard . They were unhappy with recent austerity measures that trimmed 25 percent off their paychecks . The officers also demanded that the president and his ministers resign . On Friday , Basescu dropped the police service from his protection detail , saying the protests `` undermined state 's authority and the law has been broken with the uniforms themselves . '' The next day , the prime minister also dropped police officers from his detail .
Blaga calls decision to quit a `` resignation of honor '' Police officers are upset at a 25 percent pay cut .