Police after Sunday's protest: over 70 people were documented, including minors. Some protesters came with daggers and explosive objects
More than 2,100 people took part in yesterday's anti-government protest in the centre of the capital on 12 March, police say. Law enforcement officials note that both organisers and participants admitted several illegalities.
Thus, according to the police, the demonstrators disrupted the daily and business activities of citizens, blocked road traffic and showed violence towards the police.
"The four false bomb threats, made by the same person, were qualified as destabilising actions, with the aim of involving additional police forces and tensing the situation. The organisers of the meeting also this time showed lack of communication and cooperation with law enforcement agencies and admitted disobedience to the legal requirements of the police, including the provisions of the Law on Meetings, and the request of the city hall to stop the protest actions was violated, due to non-compliance with the provisions of the Prior Declaration by the organisers," reads a statement of the IGP.
Law enforcement officers have initiated several procedures on the fact of blocking road traffic on five national roads, including for priority traffic vehicles. Other procedures have also been initiated for ignoring police officers' demands, violence against police officers and damaging special police means.
Moreover, the IGP mentions that various weapons, such as knives and daggers, explosive objects, substances and objects that can endanger people's life and health were found on some participants in the protest. Some incidents resulted in material damage.
Six reports of crimes and incidents were registered during the meeting and 77 people were documented, 24 of whom were minors.
Representatives of the People's Movement, which includes the "Șor" and PACE parties, led by fugitives Ilan Șor and Gheorghe Cavcaliuc, adopted a resolution on 19 February calling on the authorities to pay the full heating and electricity bills of all citizens during the cold season. The rallies have continued in Chisinau every week since then.
Officials had previously described the protests organised by Șor as an attempt by pro-Russian parties to destabilise the situation in the country. Both the Speaker of Parliament and Prime Minister Dorin Recean had previously given assurances that the authorities were ready to intervene if necessary.
Law enforcement officials announced yesterday that they had broken up a Moscow-led network allegedly planning to destabilise the situation in Moldova.
