“Down with Maia Sandu!”, “Early elections”. How was the opposition rally in the center of Chisinau?

On Sunday, June 19, a mass protest rally was held in the center of Chisinau with the participation of its participants. spoke Against rising prices with the slogan “New Life”.

The rally is allegedly organized by the opposition Shor party, whose representatives have been holding anti-government events in the Moldovan capital and other cities since May 2022.

Workers, teachers, doctors and retirees from many parts of the country took part in the demonstration today and carried banners with the names of settlements, reporters reported. DEA News.

“People can’t pay their gas bills anymore, electricity has become more expensive, fuel has become so expensive that you can go crazy, people can’t fill their cars anymore,” MP Marina Tauber said. republic, vice-president of the Shor party. He claims that on Sunday morning, police prevented organizers from preparing the square for the rally, as the government claimed it feared the protests and “put various obstacles in the way of the opposition”.

Those attending the rally brought with them Moldovan flags, many of them wearing white T-shirts with the words “New Life”.

“Down with power!”

According to official figures, about 3,000 people gathered in the Grand National Assembly Square in Chisinau. But the organizers of the action have other data:

“We have already gathered 40 thousand people here. Thanks for coming from all over the country. The authorities should hear the wishes of the people,” said representatives of the Shor party.

Protesters demanded the resignation of the president and the country’s government, as well as early parliamentary elections:

Demonstrators, “Early elections”, “Down with power!”, “Resign”, “Down with Maia Sandu!” chanted slogans.

In addition, some protesters tried to spy on the building of the General Commissioner of Police of Moldova. “We will ask permission to set up the stage for the concert. Let’s go together, we’ll figure it out,” Tauber told the protesters. Some opposition supporters followed him, while others remained in the square.

Earlier, the organizers of the opposition rally had claimed that Filipp Kirkorov, Dava and Ivan Dimitrenko will perform in Chisinau on Sunday. According to the deputy leader of the Shor party, Moldovan President Maia Sandu allegedly ordered the police to block the concert from taking place.

The reporter stated that the police, who ensured security and order in the demonstration area, did not interfere with the progress of the rally. TASS.

Protests in Moldova

Protests have been held in the republic since May. In addition to the Shor party, they are also organized by the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova and other political associations. People speaking at rallies are outraged by the general decline in living standards and the unprecedented rise in prices for food, gas and other energy sources.

In addition, protesters criticize the current authorities for political pressure on the opposition.

This week, the country’s former president Igor Dodon was arrested for 30 days, while Shor party lawmakers Marina Tauber and Ilan Shor were stripped of parliamentary immunity. It should be noted that in the 2021 elections, this political force received 5.74% of votes and only six of the 101 seats.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the average annual inflation in Moldova in May was 29.05%. The cost of food products increased by 32.5% and the cost of non-food products increased by 21.45%. The opposition blames the government and the ruling Action and Solidarity party for the current situation.