Police and security service ruin plans to restore Christmas tree to Chisinau’s central square, Deputy Mayor says

The Police and the security service have ruined the plans of the Chisinau municipality to restore the Christmas tree back to the National Assembly Square where it was put on Sunday. Chisinau Deputy Mayor Lucia Culev told Info-Prim Neo that tens of police officers and security agents guarded the Square on Monday, December 10, and dismissed the municipal workers when they came to re-establish the Christmas tree. Info-Prim Neo’s attempts to get in touch with officials from the Chisinau Police Commissariat for comments have repeatedly failed. Chisinau Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca handed on Monday to Vice Commissioner of Police Iacob Gumenita the ordinance to reinstall the Christmas tree. Gumenita said he would comply only after checking whether the tree was cut legally. However he denied that the police had something to do with last night’s events when the Christmas tree was moved to another location. The tree was set up by the local authorities in the Great National Assembly on Sunday, December 9. The municipality claims that it was removed at midnight by the police to the back of the Triumphal Arch. The Chisinau authorities have expressed concern about the central authorities’ unwillingness to celebrate Christmas on December 25, with the Christmas tree in Chisinau’s central square expected to be officially lit on New Year’s Eve and not earlier. Since Moldova is mainly a European Orthodox country, Christmas is celebrated here on January 7 as per the Julian calendar after a 40-day fast.