90,000 Moldovans Rally, Police Violently Breaks Protest, Opposition Passes Resolution Establishing Its Own Law Enforcement Structure

Moldova’s police have broken up an anti-government rally in Chisinau’s central square, a TASS correspondent reported on Sunday. Earlier in the day, the police broke down the opposition plans to hold an anti-government rally in Chisinau’s central square, TASS reports adding that the opposition party passed a resoultion for establishing its own law enforcement structures.

KISHINEV (Sputnik) – More than 90,000 people joined a protest against Moldova’s government, although the actual scale is hard to gauge as people have been separated into two files by police cordons, the vice president of the Sor opposition party, Marina Tauber, said on Sunday.

“More than 90,000 people came to protest against the authorities,” Tauber said at the event.

The organizers have requested the authorities’ permission to hold an indefinite protest on the Great National Assembly Square outside the government house. However, they were advised to move the park near the parliament, as an agricultural fair has been set up at the initial location. The police have issued a warning that protesters are gearing up for clashes and provocations.

The Sor Party has denied these allegations, saying that the authorities are annoyed by such gatherings, so they “imbue fear” in Moldovans and discourage them from taking to the streets.

“The Sor Party flatly rejects all accusations by the interior ministry that it is plotting to destabilize the situation at today’s protest against poverty and crisis caused by the Party of Action and Solidarity,” the organizers said in a statement.

The party called on activists to respect public order and remain on guard against potential provocations of the police and Moldovan authorities.

The protesters attempted to march along the capital’s main avenue to the square but were blocked by the police two blocks short of their destination. After an unsuccessful attempt to break the cordon, the demonstrators decided to rally right where they were stopped.

“Representatives of the authorities and law enforcement agencies are at war with us, Moldovan citizens. We don’t want to be bad, we don’t want to sow hatred, but it is unacceptable that we are met by police officers with guns and batons,” Tauber said.

It is difficult to give a precise number of participants as both groups of people marching to the city center from two different locations were blocked by the police. A temporary stage has been put up, and the organizers have officially begun the demonstration, but it remains to be seen whether other activists will be able to join them.

The Sor party, in cooperation with the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova, has been staging rallies in Kishinev since mid-September.

On October 16, the police dispersed a peaceful demonstration and dismantled the opposition’s tent camp outside the parliament.

Demonstrators say they are outraged by the unprecedented increase in prices for energy and food, as well as by high inflation and the decline in living standards, which they blame on the government.

Numerous polls show that about 60% of Moldova’s population doubts the ability of the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity to stay in power for another three years until the next parliamentary elections. In addition, roughly 70% of Moldovans are disappointed with the policies of the authorities and almost 65% support the idea of a change of government.

The protesters tried to march along Chisinau’s main avenue to the square, but the police blocked them two blocks before reaching their destination. As they were unable to break the cordon, they decided to rally right where they were stopped.

It was not possible to know the precise number of participants as the police blocked both groups of people who were coming from two different locations.

The Sor party has been staging rallies in Chisinau since mid-September in cooperation with the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova.

The police dispersed a peaceful demonstration on October 16 and dismantled the opposition’s tent camp outside the parliament.

Demonstrators say they are angered by the increase in prices for energy and food, which is considered a first in the country, as well as by soaring inflation, which they blame on the government.

Polls reveal that nearly 60% of Moldova’s population doubts that the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity is able to stay in power for three more years until the next parliamentary elections.