Police cordons blocked the way of demonstrators in Kishinev to the central square in front of the government house, Sputnik's correspondent reports. Police officers formed two tight rows, holding back a wave of protesters.
The protesters were unable to break through the second line of the police cordon, as authorities deployed special forces against them and blocked the road with buses.
An anti-government rally took place in Kishinev as part of the Movement for the People's protest action, which was joined by the Moldovan opposition party, Sor. Protesters are calling on the government to pay for their winter heating and electricity bills, and demanding the country's leadership resign.
Earlier, local police detained a bus with protesters near Glodeni as it was on its way to Balti, Moldova's second-largest city, and forced all passengers off the vehicle. The protesters blocked the road and demanded that the police not prevent them from reaching the Moldovan capital, according to a video published by the opposition group.
Earlier, local police detained a bus with protesters near Glodeni as it was on its way to Balti, Moldova's second-largest city, and forced all passengers off the vehicle. The protesters blocked the road and demanded that the police not prevent them from reaching the Moldovan capital, according to a video published by the opposition group.
Sources in the Sor party told Sputnik that 14 buses that were supposed to transport protesters to Kishinev had been forced to turn around.
Marina Tauber, Sor's vice-president, told Sputnik that the police were stopping buses with protesters throughout Moldova and did not provide citizens with the opportunity to defend their constitutional rights.
"Police provocations take place everywhere, detaining vehicles with people who went to a peaceful rally in Kishinev in all regions of the republic. The authorities and the police violate the rights of the citizens, build all kinds of obstacles, do not give [them] the opportunity to express their position or defend their constitutional rights. In more than three decades since Moldova gained independence, we've never seen such abuses against its own people, citizens of our country," Tauber said.
Anti-government protests began in Moldova in the spring of 2022 amid high food and energy prices, historic inflation and dropping living standards. Moldova's government has been repeatedly accused of failing to cope with political, security, energy and economic crises. The inflation hit a 20-year record of 33.5 percent year-on-year in the mid-summer of 2022 and affected many sectors of the country's economy. An Intellect Group poll has shown that almost 83 percent of Moldovan citizens support the National Movement for the People's initiative on the need for the government to fully pay utility bills for the winter months.
On Saturday, Moldovan President Maia Sandu made an appeal to citizens, calling on the organizers and participants in the Sunday riot to comply with the requirements of the law and prevent actions that could pose a danger to people, as well as to the country's security.
On Saturday, Moldovan President Maia Sandu made an appeal to citizens, calling on the organizers and participants in the Sunday riot to comply with the requirements of the law and prevent actions that could pose a danger to people, as well as to the country's security.