Ilan Șor's protest called 'Paid Spectacle' by expert
The so-called protest organized by Ilan Șor's supporters near the Chișinău Railway Station was primarily a test of the police's response capability and an attempt to motivate people to mobilize by offering payment, Andrei Curăraru, an expert from the Watchdog community, told Moldova 1.
According to Curăraru, the event quickly devolved into something more like a carnival than a genuine protest, complete with entertainers in cartoon character costumes.
"This demonstration isn't inspired by a spirit of protest or so-called support for Ms. Guțul, but rather by the spirit of trying to make money, following Ilan Șor's announcement regarding payments to these young people and others," the expert explained.
Curăraru noted that many participants aren't pursuing political cohesion or clear objectives, but instead remain in the public and authorities' eye to earn that money.
"Without these payments, this so-called protest wouldn't have happened. What's more, there are serious suspicions that among these money-hungry protesters, there may also be provocateurs who could later turn the protest violent," Andrei Curăraru emphasized.
The expert believes that "the protest won't gain traction now, and Ilan Șor is saving most of the funding for September, when such demonstrations could influence the electoral process."
Referring to the police intervention, Curăraru described the response as normal and preventive, noting that the actions of law enforcement helped demobilize the participants.
"I repeat, I don't believe they are holding a real protest now, but rather are testing the police's reaction capacity, which must increase and be sufficient for the direct electoral period, when these provocations will grow in scale and become more violent," the Watchdog expert concluded.
On Saturday, dozens of citizens, ignoring authorities' warnings about the risk of fines for illegal protests, gathered at the Chișinău Railway Station. They were responding to the call of convicted felon Ilan Șor, who urged them to protest "nonstop" against the government.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
