Kishinev Mayor Orders Police to Remove Protesters' Camp From Roadway

Kishinev (Sputnik) - Kishinev Mayor Ion Ceban on Monday authorized the interior ministry to ensure the removal of the tents of pro-opposition protesters blocking traffic on the main street of the Moldovan capital.

Anti-government protests in support of the opposition Sor party in Moldova are in their fourth week now. People set up tents in front of government buildings to protest growing energy prices and inflation. The police have asked the mayor's permission to remove the camp.

"The mayor ordered that the Ministry of Internal Affairs exercise its functional authority in accordance with its competence and unblock the street," Ceban said on Telegram.

At the same time, he urged the authorities not to persecute people for political reasons.

Following Ceban's statement, a special police brigade arrived at the protesters' camp and moved the tents back onto the sidewalk, despite the demonstrators shouting slogans such as "Shame!" and "Down with the dictatorship!" No one was injured during the forceful dispersal, but the rally's participants still pledged to challenge the police actions.

"We just wanted to draw attention to ourselves, because neither [Moldovan President Maia] Sandu nor the parliament pay attention to us. Instead, the police started to destroy our camp. It is a mess," one of the demonstrators told Sputnik.

The indefinite rally involving over 60,000 people, according to Sor's estimates, has been taking place in Kishinev since September 18. The organizers demand that Sandu resign, along with her government and the parliament. They also demand compensation for increased electricity tariffs and financial aid for vulnerable populations.

The opposition has accused the government of failing to cope with the economic crisis, noting that inflation hit a 20-year record of 33.5% year-on-year in mid-summer. The country's leadership has also been criticized for its unwillingness to negotiate better gas prices with Russia and for putting political pressure on the opposition.

Numerous polls show that around 60% of Moldova's population doubts the ability of the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity to stay in power for another three years until the next parliamentary elections. In addition, roughly 70% of Moldovans are disappointed with the policies of the authorities and almost 65% support the idea of ​a change of government.