People protest at Chisinau City Hall with brooms and dustpans

Representatives of the civic groups “My Dear Town” and “Mailpersons of Chisinau” gathered Monday in front of the City Hall to protest against the municipal authorities’ failure to protect the historical moments, Info-Prim Neo reports. The protesters came with brooms and dustpans, urging Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca to bring things in the city in order. “We came to tell the mayor to be firm as the mayor of Vilnius and not to allow demolitions in the historical Chisinau,” said Corina Rezneac, a member of “Mailpersons of Chisinau” and of the Association of Young Historians. Sergiu Ostaf, director of the Resource Center for Human Rights (CReDO), said he came to protest because he cares about the historical center of the city and wants Chisinau to be clean. “We consider that our cultural, patrimonial rights are violated. The Chisinau Council and the City Hall do not take steps to protect them,” he stated. Secretary general of the National Council of NGOs Antonita Fonari said she wants Chisinau to become a European capital as the mayor promised. She stressed the chaos in central Chisinau is unbearable as many cars there are parked on sidewalks and even crosswalks. Journalist Nata Albot said the protesters brought brooms because they are the symbol of tidiness. “We were sent by no party and intend to do not harm. We only want the mayor to forget about politics and be a real manger,” she said. The protesters said they will picket the Government Building, the Parliament Building and the Prosecutor General’s Office, which are also responsible for the chaos and demolitions in the historical center of the capital city. The two civic groups submitted a letter with demands to the City Hall. The demands include: adjusting the General Urbanistic Plan for the historical area of Chisinau, banning the placement of adverts on the facades of monuments and buildings in the historical center of the city, banning the setting up of kiosks in Chisinau and the removal of the existing ones. Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca went out and told the protesters that the historical center of Chisinau is under the City Hall’s scrutiny. He said the issuing of authorizations and urbanism certificates was suspended until there is designed a zonal urbanistic plan for the entire historical center of Chisinau. According to the mayor, the reconstruction of the historical center is the most expensive project of the municipal administration, whose budget can amount to €10 million.