More than 40,000 people took part in a protest in the Great National Assembly Square of Chisinau on May 3. The event was staged by the Civic Platform “Dignity and Truth” against the corrupt government, large-scale thefts and the transformation of the stolen money into state debt and against the politically controlled media, IPN reports.
Journalist Angela Arama, who is a member of the Platform’s initiative group, said that over 40,000 people came to protest in the center of Chisinau, noting that according to her information, the police stopped pubic units of transport in order to prevent the people from reaching inner city to protest.
Initiative group member Vasile Nastase addressed the crowd, saying only one institution remained functional in Moldova – the people who woke up. “We count on you as only together can we oust the criminal government from power. We want the bandits to return those US$2 billion that they stole and transferred to Russia,” said the journalist. According to him, the Government and Parliament must resign in corpore because the members of these institutions robbed the people. He stated that the Platform will soon work out a viable alternative that will remove from the government the persons to blame for the thefts committed in the banking system and will hold them accountable.
Journalist Constantin Cheianu urged mounting a new protest in two weeks, if the central administration does not satisfy their demands, and putting up tents around the Parliament Building, the Government Building and the Prosecutor General’s Office.
Lawyer Violeta Gasitoi welcomed the large number of participants, saying this is a sign that the people care and want and deserve to have veritable justice in Moldova.
Economic analyst Gheorghe Costandachi said the ruling coalition is preparing in secret a document by which the Government will offer the National Bank of Moldova a new loan of about 4 billion lei in addition to the many billions provided earlier.
Political analyst Igor Botan, who is also a member of the initiative group, noted that the authorities stole billions of lei and society must thus protest against the stealing and the corrupt government. “We must protest, but peacefully. The Platform’s example must be disseminated all over the country,” said Igor Botan, adding that the Movement is a nonpolitical and civic one that will only prepare the land for the future non-corrupt governments.
Initiative group member Dinu Plangau read the resolution that the crowed adopted unanimously. The resolution says the socioeconomic situation in the country worsened significantly as a result of the rise in prices and the compromising of the agricultural year following the unprecedented and very large thefts.
In this connection, the participants put forward a number of demands, including making public the report by the company Kroll, which investigated the stealing of US2 billion, dismissing the managers who are to blame, recovering the stolen money, not transforming this money into state debt, freeing the media outlets from captivity, etc. “We call on the young people, workers, intellectuals and the pensioners to make common cause as they would have had higher scholarships, salaries and pensions if these thefts hadn’t been committed,” said Dinu Plangau.
The organizers said that if the authorities ignore protesters’ demands, they will resort to more drastic measures such as non-payment of taxes and mounting of large-scale protests and strikes.
During the protest the organizers estimated that there were about 50,000 people taking part in the event.
After the protest, the crowd went on a march along Stefan cel Mare Blvd, chanting “Resign”, “Down with the Mafia”, and “Union”.
This is the second large protest organized by the Civic Platform “Dignity and Truth”. The first was held on April 5.
