The General Police Inspectorate said the protesters who blocked pubic roads on January 24 are liable to criminal punishment and fines. The decision to go on a march and block streets wasn’t announced by the organizers, IPN reports, quoting a press release of the Inspectorate.

According to the Inspectorate, the demonstrations mounted in Chisinau on January 24, organized by the Party of Socialists, the “Our Party”, and the Platform “Dignity and Truth”, involved about 20,000 people. At about 2pm, the participants in the protest formed a column and went on a march, without informing about it beforehand, by the statement submitted to the Chisinau City Hall. These moved along the streets Stefan cel Mare şi Sfant, Balcani, Deleanu, Alba-Iulia and Ion Creanga. As a result, traffic on the given streets had been blocked for about an hour.

About 350 persons blocked Calea Iesilor St, towards Straseni town, in both directions. That section of the street was inaccessible to traffic for 35 minutes. The same group of persons started a fire in the middle of the street. Thus, the protesters disrupted the road traffic and public transport in the area, creating impediments to the economic entities working in the area.

In accordance with the Contravention Code and the Penal Code, the violation of the legislation on assembly is punished with a fine of 600 to 2,000 lei or two to six years in jail.

The police reiterate the call to the people to protest peacefully, without using violence, and to report when they see dubious objects or persons inciting violence.