Members of the Moldpresa Communications Trade Union Federation in the morning of January 22 mounted at protest in front of the Chisinau City Hall to express their dissatisfaction with the local public authorities’ decision to take away the Moldpresa kiosks. The protesters complained they lost their job and, respectively, the source of livelihood now that the kiosks were removed.

The people chanted: “The press is for the people”, “We want to work”, “We work legally” and demanded to suspend the removal of the Moldpresa kiosks from the historical part of the city and the main streets of the municipality, IPN reports.

According to Svetlan Bashkir, a member of the executive bureau of the Communications Trade Union Federation of Moldova, now that the people lost their jobs, they have to leave the country so as to earn their living abroad. “They all have families, children and do not have money to maintain them. The people’s right to work is violated in their country. They say we cannot sell newspapers in central Chisinau and make us work in suburban localities,” stated Svetlana Bashkir.

Adrian Talmaci, acting secretary of the Chisinau Municipal Council, went out to talk to the crowd. He said that a meeting with district heads and representatives of the Architecture Division and the General Trade Division will be convened to take a decision. The Municipal Council will pronounce later.

The Moldpresa kiosks are also covered by the regulations that ban the location of kiosks in central Chisinau and on the main arteries of the city. After the given kiosks are taken away, over 800 people risk remaining without a job. A number of 24 kiosks placed downtown were removed so far.