Among the many police officers mobilized near the Government Building in Chisinau, which was surrounded by people who came to protest against the government on April 24, were several policemen with large caliber rifles, possibly of Kalashnikov type as someone said. But the administration of the Ministry of the Interior earlier announced that the police, as the protest organizers, had the duty to ensure the demonstrations were peaceful. The large guns and the several police dogs suggested to be attentive as anything could happen there, at any moment...

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It seems that we ‘let our guard down’ several minutes after the protesters were allowed to sit down on the lawn following the pullout by the police five meters away. Initially, the protesters planned to remain in front of the Government Building for several days so as to show their dissatisfaction with the work of the government. In these circumstances, things were calm and nothing foresaw a twist of scenario. We had sketches of news articles and pictures in our heads on the way to the editorial office and we then found out that a part of the protesters decided to walk to Bulgara St, where the house of the first deputy chairman of the Democratic Vlad Plahotniuc was reportedly situated.

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Why none of the protesters sitting on the lawn in front of the Government Building spoke about the plans to protest somewhere else too? How many of them ‘got lost’ and renounced the idea of protesting and went to Bulgara St? We thus hurried to the announced place with these questions and managed to get there simultaneously with the protesters. Several lines of police offices with plastic shields already blocked Bulgara St, at the intersection with Stefan cel Mare St. In only several minutes, a determined and apparently edgy man left the crowd and headed for the police cordons. He tried to take away the shield of one of the police officers. Who is this man – a protester or an instigator infiltrated in the crowd?

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But we didn’t manage to put too many questions as a woman carrying a girl of about three in her arms hurried to leave the area between the protesters and the police so as not to be caught in the middle. Why did they take the child to the protest and, if they took her with them, why did they risk getting between the police and the protesters? We didn’t get many answers this time either. The first stones started to be thrown at the police. Someone sprayed gas over the bare heads of the protesters and the helmets of the police officers. Was that teargas or paralyzing gas? Who used it?

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We could not go through the protesters and the police to reach Bulgara St, but went round the place and gott behind the police cordons. From a wall, stairs and even from several windows, we followed what was going on. Eggs and stones continued to fly. At a certain moment, several police officers took a man out of the crowd. This was dressed in civvies. He had a red face and was coughing. Was it due to the gas or he just lacked oxygen when he was caught between the two camps?

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One more stone was flying. A policeman with several papers and a colored plastic bag in his hands takes away the stone thrown by protesters. He put it down and then measured it with a meter. Meanwhile, two men in civvies approached. One of them, with a camera in his hands, photographed that stone. The police officer then threw the stone in his bag.

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Things calmed down a little. We found out that a part of the protesters were heading for the Global Business Center (GBC) located on Dimitrie Cantemir Blvd, where they say Vlad Plahotniuc has the head office of his companies. We also went there. We ran on Bulgara St and then on 31 august St and crossed Ismail St in a hurry. On the sidewalk, a child of about four drove a children’s car. With the seriousness typical of a child of his age, this cried loudly “Down with the mafia!”. Does he really know what mafia is?

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At the GBC, there were many police officers around that building too. Why no one told us how many police officers were mobilized? Is this a state institution or the police take care of private buildings too? The minister of the interior answered this question later, in a press briefing. He said that they defended all the institutions that the protesters planned to visit. Did the protesters announce that they will go there? Didn’t the organizers say that they will decide the steps that will be taken during the protest together with the crowd in the Great National Assembly Square?

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At the GBC, several protesters shook one of the buses parked in front of the building. There are several rows of police officers behind the bus. If they turn it upside down, what will happen to the police? Will these manage to avoid the impact?

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Things calmed down here too after a while. A woman protester went by the first line of police officers and asked them and herself: Why did they place these children in front?”.

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On Cantemir Blvd, the protesters during several minutes asked each other what to do next. They ultimately decided to return to the Great National Assembly Square. On the way to the Square, the protesters stopped on Ismail St and blocked it. The minibuses had to go back. The drivers decided what to do themselves as there was no one to direct traffic on the main arteries. Why wasn’t there any traffic police officer? Why should a police officer whose duty is to maintain public order do the work of the traffic police? Aren’t traffic police officers mobilized when such events take place?

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Until the Square, the rows of protesters became smaller. A question sounded in my head. This was put by a young man going by the people who protested in front of the GBC: “Why do they do here? What’s the matter?”. Was he joking or he really does not know what’s going on in Moldova?

Elena Covalenco, IPN
Cristina Popuşoi, IPN