Moldova to Allow Opposing Protests in Capital

The Moldovan authorities have authorised simultaneous protests in the Great National Assembly Square in Chisinau on Saturday for pro-Romanian Unionists and for pro-Russian Socialists members and sympathizers.

The head of Chisinau City Hall's Legal Department, Valeriu Bogdan, said they had organized a meeting for both sides "but they [the protesters] did not reach a common deal. On August 26, we had different protests, but there were no violations, violence or collisions between the demonstrators. We went for the same idea for September 1," he told Radio Chisinau.

Bogdan added that as long there is no clear evidence that acts of violence are likely, the authorities cannot forbid anyone from conducting demonstrations.

The pro-Russian Sor Party, led by Ilan Shor, and the opposition bloc were allowed to hold rallies in the same square on August 26. Police later intervened and separated the two sides when they almost got into a fight.

A rally of pro-Romanian protesters was supposed to take place on August 27, but Moldovan border police denied entry to Moldova of people who had participated in a march from Romania to Moldova, celebrating the centenary of reunification with Romania, saying they had disturbed public order in the customs area.

They were only allowed to enter Moldova two days later, after Romania demanded an explanation for the ban.

The Socialists have made an official request to be allowed into the square for meetings and protests from September 1 to December 31, when parliamentary election are due.

"After last week's incidents between the Sor Party and opposition, they have authorised both us and Dodon supporters to be in the same square," the leader of Unionist Platform 2012, George Simion, told BIRN, referring...