An event staged by the youth wing of the Party of Socialists in Chisinau against the City Hall’s decision to proclaim May 16 as a Mourning Day ended with altercations between the organizers and a group of people who interfered in the protest, chanting anti-Russia slogans, Info-Prim Neo reports. The representatives of the Youth Guard gathered together in front of the City Hall to criticize Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca’s decision to declare May 16 as a Mourning Day and to fly the flags at half mast on the occasion of 200 years of the annexation of Bessarabia to the Russian Empire. They consider that this day is a day of liberation from the Ottoman Empire. The protest was hindered by a group of 3-4 people, who started to chant anti-Russia slogans and named the organizers traitors. The police intervened to prevent altercations between the two camps, but did not mange to. Dorin Chirtoaca said the Socialists’ protest and the recent criticism of his decision are consequences of the Soviet propaganda and attempts to speculate on history. “We must tolerate such situations as there is no other way out. They are free to state their viewpoints,” he stated. Also on Wednesday, members and sympathizers of the Liberal Party laid flowers at the commemoration stone placed in front of the Government Building, marking the 200th anniversary of the annexation of Bessarabia to the Russian Empire. “On this day we celebrate 200 years of struggle that allowed our people to decide the fate by themselves. Hundreds of thousands of people died during these 200 years for freedom,” said the Liberal leader Mihai Ghimpu. He expressed his regret at the fact that the other parties of the ruling alliance did not join in.