Protest against Patriarch Kirill’s visit

09.10.2011 15:31
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2 minute(s)

A group of young people on October 9 staged a protest near the Monument to Ruler Stephan the Great, demonstrating against the Russian Patriarch’s visit to Moldova. They said the Patriarch came to bless the territory that he intends to occupy, Info-Prim Neo reports. Protester Pavel Munteanu said the Russian official came to mark the territory. “His visit represents occupation. He thinks he occupies the territory that he blesses,” said the young man. He stressed the protesters wrote the messages in Russian so that the Patriarch understands them without the help of an interpreter. Among the messages written on placards were: “We are one Romanian people before God”, and “Moldova is not a province of Holy Russia”. “We protest in spite of rain because we do not want officials to come from Moscow. The authorities spend large sums of money to receive them ostentatiously, showing we are their servants. The Russians have influenced our policy since 1940 even if we consider ourselves independent. We do not agree with such a situation,” said protester Mircea Sula. He informed that the participants in the protest were mobilized through social networking. “We are Romanians and abide by the rules of the Romanian Orthodox Church. They tell him here His Holiness, but is the Russian Patriarch a Pope?” asked demonstrator Ion Gheorghitan. The protesters said they form part of the movement “Romanian Spirit” and other prounionist organizations.