MOSCOW, June 15. /TASS/. Police in Chisinau detained Orthodox activists protesting against the LGBT march (the LGBT movement is recognized as extremist and banned in Russia) on personal orders from Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Konstantin Zatulin, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration, and Relations with Compatriots has told TASS.
Zatulin stated, "The police are following orders, and the orders are coming from Sandu and her team. Why Sandu and her team are what they are, and not different, is a question to her parents, her school, and those mentors who shaped her as a politician." He further claimed that the perceived attacks on the Orthodox Church and traditional values are part of a broader pattern, describing them as "the common line of Ms. Sandu's friends in the European Union."
Expressing concern over Moldova’s political direction, Zatulin remarked that many Moldovans - whether identifying themselves as Romanian or Moldovan - are worried about having "an inadequate president who is surrendering their country to the mercy of the European Union." He also commented on the potential union with Romania, warning that such a move would effectively strip Moldova of sovereignty. "They understand that this proclaimed accession to Romania, whether in name or in fact, will actually lead to them ceasing to be masters of their own land, their own businesses, and their own Moldova," he emphasized.
Events in Chisinau
Several hundred believers, including clergy, came with icons and church banners. They tried to block the LGBT march by moving across its path, but the police began to push them back, some were handcuffed and taken away. During the clash, law enforcement officers knocked several people to the ground, including clergymen and a man carrying a child in his arms. The incident was caught on video by eyewitnesses and shared on social media by participants in the protest.
Law enforcement officials have not yet commented on the use of force against clergy and believers.
Meanwhile, the Family March, which was organized by the Party of Socialists, the Party of Communists, the Future of Moldova Party, and other opposition groups, ended peacefully and without incident at the Cathedral in central Chisinau. It was attended by former Moldovan presidents Igor Dodon and Vladimir Voronin, former Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev, members of parliament, politicians, public figures, and clergy.