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Protesters picketing Moldova’s National Anti-corruption Center

The protesters accuse the head of the anti-corruption center of taking bribes

CHISINAU, September 15. /TASS/. Activists of Moldova’s Dignity and Truth Civil Platform, who have put a tent camp in Chisinau’s central square demanding resignation of the Moldovan authorities, on Tuesday staged a picket at the National Anti-corruption Centre.

The rally involves about one hundred people chanting "Viorel Chetraru [calling the center’s chief] - To Prison!"

"The country is bogged down in corruption and the biggest bribe-taker is illegally heading this center. He is to resign," Alex Kozer, a Dignity and Truth leader, said before the picketers.

Another Dignity and Truth leader, Andrei Nastase, said earlier on Tuesday the protesters were changing their tactics to opt for picketing state institutions and expanding the geography of protests to embrace other Moldovan cities.

"The authorities don’t heed us and don’t want to. We have no reaction from the authorities to our demands committed to paper in a resolution of last Sunday’s rally," he said at a news conference in Chisinau’s central square, the site of grass-roots protests. "We must invigorate out efforts in this situation. We will organize marches and picket state institutions."

He said the protesters would picket the residence of President Nicolae Timofti on Wednesday, when he would be chairing a government meeting. On Sunday, in his words, activists would stage a motor rally. "We will not hold a rally on September 20. We will use another format of protest to get our demands across to more people," Nastase said.

An anti-government rally organized by Dignity and Truth in Chisinau on Sunday, September 13, was attended by less people than a similar rally a week ago. The organizers called for a general strike and civil disobedience. The rally was held peacefully although police forces in central Chisinau were reinforced. Protesters put a tent camp in the central square demanding resignation of the Moldovan government and early elections.