Though the January 20 special sitting of Parliament, where the Filip Government was given a vote of confidence, started in the usual way, the situation later became tense both in the assembly hall and around the Parliament Building, where hundreds of people came together to protest. Asked by IPN to tell what happened, the journalists who were on the spot said they remained blocked in the Parliament Building and during several hours experienced moments of maximum tension.
Radio Moldova journalist Natalia Ixari said the special sitting began in a normal atmosphere, but it soon became clear that it will not pass without incidents. A Socialist MP came to the press hall and said: “You’ll see what happens”. Before the candidate for Prime Minister started his speech, the rostrum was blocked by Socialist MPs and the candidate had to present a part of the government program from his seat. He was then invited to the Parliament’s presidium. The voting procedure was swift and things became heated when a vote of confidence was given to the new Cainet.
Natalia Ixari said the number of protesters who gathered in the back of the Parliament Building increased significantly. Several infuriated persons attacked and damaged a Parliament car. There was only the driver inside. The situation grew tenser when the protesters started to break the police cordons.
TV 7 reporter Nata Sarioglo said the haste in which the special sitting was organized gave reasons for concern. She thus hurried to reach the Parliament Building before 3pm without intuiting that she will have to stay there for almost six hours, alongside about 30 journalists from other media outlets. “Those were six hours of tension. Initially, when the first police cordon was broken, we followed the developments through the window and filmed them. Later we were announced that we were not allowed to leave the building as we could endanger our lives,” she stated, adding that they afterward started to cough and run with tears as someone threw smoke-producing devices. Close to 9pm, they were escorted out of the Parliament Building, through a police corridor.
Privesc.eu journalist Vlad Turcanu said they filmed the protest almost fully, both inside and outside, when the protesters forced a lateral door. There were a number of MPs in the Parliament Building when the situation became tenser. Some of the lawmakers reportedly left the building disguised, including as police officers. There were clashes between the police and the protesters. Several persons, representing both of the camps, were taken out of the crowd because they felt sick. At a certain moment, the journalists got stuck between the police cordons and the crowd. Things calmed down at about 10pm, when the ranks of the police were supplemented and a part of the protesters left. Those who entered the Parliament Building were driven off. The remaining protesters started two fires near the building.
The journalists also said the protest organizers called for calm, but these were ignored by the crowd because they weren’t very insistent. There were groups of aggressive persons among the protesters who acted like instigators. Some of the protesters destroyed the balustrade and damaged the lateral door with pieces of this. These shoved police officers and took off their helmets to see if there weren’t MPs hiding among them.
