Politics

POLICE FORCEDLY BROKE UP PROTESTERS IN CHISINAU DOWNTOWN

27 august, 2018

On Monday – the Moldova Independence Day – the police forcedly dispersed the crowd, who was protesting in front of Stefan cel Mare monument in the Chisinau downtown.

On Sunday, the National Resistance Movement ACUM held a massive protest in Chisinau. Since afternoon, thousands of protesters marched through Chisinau central streets, then they held a rally. In the Resolution, adopted at the end of the day, they demand Government resignation and conducting of parliamentary elections on the basis of the previous, proportionate, but not the new mixed system of electing Parliament members. Several hundreds of protesters spent the night near the Stefan cel Mare monument to meet the country rulers, MPs and ministers, who will come to lay flowers to the monument in the morning of the Independence Day.

According to protesters, the night was quiet, but at 5:30 in the morning, buses with hundreds of police officers arrived. First, through loudspeakers they were demanded to vacate the square near the monument. When they refused to do this, police forcedly evacuated people. Force was applied against them. Several people had to address to ambulance doctors. Among protesters who stood near the monument there were leaders of protests – “Demnitate si Adevar” [DA, “Dignity and Justice”] Party Chairman Andrei Nastase and Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) leader Maia Sandu, who were also evacuated by police.

In the morning, city central streets were blocked for traffic. Fully equipped police officers in helmets and with batons formed cordons around the perimeter of the city main square, as well as around the Stefan cel Mare monument. They were not allowing anyone to lay flowers to the monument, waiting for the Moldovan leadership. According to the Independence Day celebration program, the laying of flowers was planned for 9:30.

When the country rulers arrived, hundreds of people kept by police away from the monument were whistling and chanting “Thieves!”, “Traitors!”, “Shame!”, “Down with mafia!” in address to those who were laying flowers.

Via loudspeakers, Head of General Police Inspectorate Main Department for Public Security Marian Maxian called on the people to keep calm. He explained that the law enforcement actions are directed to ensuring security in the city downtown, citing the ordinance of Chisinau Acting Mayor Ruslan Codreanu, who demanded to ensure order in the center of the city.

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