Massive Opposition Rallies in Moldova Attract 60,000 Participants, Chanting ‘Shore’

Chisinau, May 21 – About 60,000 people took part in the anti-government rallies that took place on Sunday in the Moldovan cities of Orhei, Balti and Komrat, according to the press service of the opposition Shore party.

On May 21, the Chur party decided to hold its rallies in the “northern capital” of the republic – Balti, in the city of Orhei, located in the central part of the country, and in Komrat, the capital of the Gagauz autonomy, located in the south of Moldova.

“60 thousand people today demanded a referendum on Moldova’s external carrier. People came to rallies, saying that the people’s voice is above everything, that the people must decide where Moldova should go – to the West, to the East, to join any military bloc or Not to join it or to remain neutral, as stipulated in the constitution. Participants also argued that Maia Sandu and the PSS authorities should not decide the future of Moldova, “says the party’s website.

The protesters believe that the current government allows itself to make decisions on behalf of all citizens, “despite the countless protests and the discontent of the people,” according to the publication.

said Vadym Fotescu, a deputy from the Chur party who took part in the rally in Komrat.

Most Moldovans are in favor of maintaining economic, political and cultural ties with the Russian Federation, according to a survey published in mid-March by the republic’s Institute of Marketing and Social Surveys (IMAS). The survey also showed that more than half of Moldovans oppose the country’s withdrawal from the CIS, and many citizens are unhappy with the standard of living and believe that the country’s leadership is responsible for the increase in gas and electricity prices.

Relations between Russia and Moldova began to deteriorate after President Maia Sandu, who pursues a pro-European policy, came to power in the republic at the end of 2020. Press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov said that Moldova, under the current authorities, seeks to become an unfriendly country to Russia. Moscow calls on Chisinau to listen to the interests of its citizens and not to hinder the development of human contacts and interregional relations with Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry called on the Moldovan authorities to stop confrontational anti-Russian rhetoric in the country. They added that Moscow is determined to establish friendly relations with Moldova and does not enjoy the fact that this country is being used for anti-Russian purposes.