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Anti-government protests in Moldova

Mass protest demonstrations have continued in Moldova for a fourth month running

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Thousands of supporters of the opposition Party of Socialists, Our Party and the Dignity and Truth (DA) civic platform staged a picket in front of the parliament building in Chisinau against the new government, asking for early parliamentary elections

© EPA/DUMITRU DORU

Police guarding the entrance to the parliament building during a protest in Chisinau

© EPA/DUMITRU DORU

The leader of Our Party Renato Usatii and supporters at the protest in Chisinau

© PA/DUMITRU DORU

Police in front of the entrance to the parliament building during a protest in Chisinau

© EPA/DUMITRU DORU

A man faces police officers during a protest in front of the parliament building in Chisinau, Moldova, 21 January 2016. The supporters of politics platform 'Demnitate si Adevar' (lit. Dignity and Truth), socialists and the 'Our Party' party, attended a protest against the new government, asking for early parliamentary elections.

© EPA/DUMITRU DORU

People gathering in front of the government building, during a protest in Chisinau

© EPA/DUMITRU DORU

© EPA/DUMITRU DORU

Protesters pushing the police line inside of the Parliament building, during a protest against the election of democratic Pavel Filip as Prime Minister of Moldova, 20 January 2016

© EPA/DUMITRU DORU

Pavel Filip was elected as Prime Minister of Moldova, an office which has been vacant since 29 October 2015, by the Moldovan Parliament with 57 of 101 votes. Photo: Prime Minister of Moldova Pavel Filip during his first government session

On January 21, riots occurred outside the parliament in Moldova where the new government was endorsed. Thousands of opposition supporters stormed the building saying the cabinet was illegal. Later, supporters of the opposition Party of Socialists, Our Party and the Dignity and Truth (DA) civic platform staged a picket of the building. Moldova’s political crisis has been smoldering since September 2015, when the first protest rallies swept Chisinau. They have already resulted in the arrest of a former prime minister, leader of the Liberal-Democratic Party Vlad Filat on corruption charges and the dismissal of the Valeriu Strelet-led Cabinet. Anti-government protests in Moldova - in this gallery by TASS.

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Timur Ivanov was arrested by Moscow’s Basmanny Court

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