Thousands of people joined a protest on Saturday in Chisinau demanding Moldova’s reunification with Romania, while supporters of Russia and continued separation from Romania called off their own gathering.
Some leaders of the reunification protests claimed they were harassed by the police, including a Romanian parliament member, Constantin Codreanu; all filed official complaints. Three buses with protesters were prevented from reaching the rally, organisers said.
“Today democracy died in Moldova,” said Codreanu, who urged the Romanian authorities to stop any financial support for what he called the “mafia government in Chisinau”.
The pro-Russian protesters who do not want Moldova to join Romania cancelled their protest at the last minute.
The authorities had previously allowed both ideologically-opposed sides to protest together on the same square in Chisinau, despite the risk of conflict.
Last Sunday, opposition supporters from the Resistance Movement- NOW were allowed to rally in the same square with the pro-Russian Sor party.
The situation almost degenerated into a clash, which riot police prevented by throwing up a cordon between the two camps.
Sor’s leader, Ilan Sor, has a first-instance court conviction for his role in the so-called ‘grand theft’ of about $1 billion from the Moldovan banking system. Many political analysts consider him to be close to the ruling Democratic Party.
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