CHISINAU, October 23. /TASS/. Sunday’s opposition rally in Chisinau has yielded a resolution envisaging the establishment of a law enforcement structure and an opposition government to take the country out of the crisis and prevent its involvement into an armed conflict.
"To set up the Popular Shield, a national structure that will be tasked to protect citizens and prevent the country’s involvement into an armed conflict, to prevent revision of article 11 of the constitution on neutrality and Moldova’s accession to military blocs," Dinu Turcanu, one of the rally’s organizers, read out the resolution.
He also announced the party’s plans to establish an alternative government to organize early parliamentary elections. Apart from that, the resolution expresses concern over the skyrocketing energy prices and deteriorating living standards. The opposition accuses the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity of seeking to drag the country into the geopolitical confrontation in Ukraine.
Earlier in the day, the police broke down the opposition plans to hold an anti-government rally in Chisinau’s central square. The city’s central districts were cordoned off by the police, who stopped and dispersed the protesters. However, some of the demonstrators decided to pickets the prosecutor general’s office and pitched tents in front of it.
On October 16, the police brought down a tent camp, which had been organized by the protesters in a park between the parliament and presidential administration buildings back on September 17. Most of the opposition parties accused the pro-European authorities of violating law and establishing dictatorship. Criticism of the Moldovan authorities for these actions was voiced by Western human rights activists as well.
Earlier, the Moldovan government’s emergencies commission, which was set up amid the energy crisis, imposed restrictions on protest actions and mass gatherings, allowing them only for not more than four hours on weekends.
Protests have been held in Moldova since June demanding the resignation of the current leadership. People are protesting against the unprecedented growth of prices for gas and other energy resources and food, and against deteriorating living conditions. The current authorities are also criticized for their reluctance to negotiate gas prices with Russia and for political pressure on the opposition.