Go to the media bankPolice officers on duty during an anti-government protest organized by the opposition Shor party, near the Moldovan parliament in Chisinau< strong>CHISINAU, Oct 16More than 50 thousand people are trying to get to the central square of Chisinau to hold an anti-government protest, but the police blocked their way, which is a violation of the rights of the people, said one of the organizers, representative of the Shor party Dinu Turcanu. Chisinau since September 18, the demonstrators live in tents in the square in front of the parliament and opposite the presidential palace. A week earlier, the Shor party delivered an ultimatum to the authorities, demanding that they compensate for the increase in gas and electricity tariffs and provide material assistance to the population. The authorities were given seven days to comply with these requirements, but there was no response.The former prime minister of Moldova criticized Sandu's domestic policy. The protesters intended to occupy the central square of the Great National Assembly in front of the government building of Moldova, having coordinated this with the local authorities. However, the police blocked their way to the square, so the protesters demand the appearance of the mayor of the city, Ion Chaban, to clarify the situation.» the right to protest is recognized by all laws and the constitution, we consider the actions of the police provocative,” Turcanu said. Traffic in the center of the capital of Moldova was blocked on several streets at once. The crowd is chanting «Down with dictatorship», «Police with the people» and «Down with Maia Sandu». It was decided that the protest would begin right at the intersection next to the square until the police or city authorities decide otherwise. Protesters in the center of Chisinau lit smoke bombs in the colors of the flag of Moldova. This week, the authorities of the republic adopted new rules for holding protests during the state of emergency in the country since February 24. Blocking roads during protests is possible only on non-working days, the protest must end in a maximum of four hours. In the event of a breach of public order, the police have the right to remove the violators from the crowd without coordinating with the protests. If the violations become too serious, the police may demand that the organizers stop the demonstration immediately. The protesters are outraged by the unprecedented increase in gas prices, other energy resources and food, as well as high inflation and falling living standards. The protesters accuse the authorities of failing to cope with the crisis, point to a record inflation over the past 20 years, which in September amounted to 33.97% on an annualized basis. The country's leadership is criticized for its unwillingness to negotiate better gas prices with Russia, as well as for political pressure on opposition representatives. Numerous polls show that about 60% of the country's population doubt the ability of the ruling Action and Solidarity party to stay in power for another three years before the next parliamentary elections. Also, about 70% of the inhabitants of Moldova are disappointed with the policy of the authorities and almost 65% support the idea of changing the government.
