Protest action staged in Moldovan capital

Chisinau, 12 March /MOLDPRES/ - A protest action was staged in the centre of the Moldovan capital today.  

The protest was organized by the Movement for People (MPP), which includes also the Shor Party, but without the participation of at least two formations MPP members. And this after the We Build Europe at Home Party and the People’s Shield movement gave up taking part in the protest scheduled for today at noon.   

The action’s organizers initially informed that they would protest outside the parliament building; yet, they moved further to the Great National Assembly Square (PMAN). The protesters wanted to held the rally outside the government building, but the police banned them from doing this, on grounds that the location did not correspond to the one indicated in the declaration submitted to the Chisinau city hall. The protesters shouted slogans against the ‘’war in Moldova,’’ against the ruling party and the head of state, whom they asked ‘’to assume the payment of the invoices for the last winter months.’’ At the same time, the opposition’s protest was accompanied by an anti-protest, whose participants were shouting in the support of the governance.    

The protesters blocked a segment of the Stefan cel Mare Boulevard. The public transport was redirected to the adjacent streets and drivers were urged to avoid the centre of the capital. The action ended with the reading of a resolution of the rally.   

The today’s protest action was preceded by a news briefing, held by the head of the General Police Inspectorate (IGP), Viorel Cernauteanu. The official informed about the measures of Moldova’s law-enforcement bodies, who had managed to undertake actions to prevent intentions of destabilizing and disorder planned at the events in the capital. The statements by the IGP head were confirmed by video sequences, which showed details from the operation of destructuring and combating the actions of destabilizing at the protests in Chisinau.    

Also today, 54 participants in the protest, of whom 21 minors with dubious behavior and banned objects on them, were carried to IGP for identification and documentation. Four bomb alerts were registered in the Moldovan capital till today noon, with the information received from the same person. The police describe these actions as part of the destabilization actions.  

The number of people who participated in the protest has not been announced, for the time being.

The today’s protest is the third one this year, resumed by the Shor Party following the winter holidays. More protest actions started in Chisinau back in the last autumn. The problems invoked by protesters deal with social aspects, such as the poverty, prices’ increase, discontent with the governance, etc. Yet, the protests do not have a mass character, as more investigations showed that the protesters participated not out of conviction, but against payment, which compromises the idea of protest.