Friday, October 23, 2009

Protesters in front of Government building involved in minor scuffle with P.M. Vlad Filat

About 100 protesters, most of them elderly men and women, walked from Chisinau City Hall to the Government building today to ask the cabinet to increase pensions and salaries.

The protests, organized by Salvardare Association head Maia Laguta, started a couple of weeks ago after the Chisinau City Council decided to hike water consumption and public transportation fees, as well as scrap the right of elderly people to use public transportation for free. Chisinau City Hall decided to provide a 70-leu (about seven dollars) subsidy to each elderly person, instead. A one-way trolley trip in Chisinau costs two lei (one dollar is about 11 lei).

The protests became tenser, however, once Prime Minister Vlad Filat stepped out to invite three protester representatives to talks. As Mr. Filat was walking back up the steps to go back to his office, a couple of elderly women tried to grab him. The P.M.s bodyguards pushed the women out of the way. JurnalTV, Stirea Zilei, and ProTV have the footage.

Ms. Laguta said she did not see any protester try to grab Mr. Filat, but stressed that some people may have because "they are hungry."

Previously, protesters assauled mayor Dorin Chirtoaca. On September 29, Mr. Chirtoaca, who stepped out to speak with the demonstrators, was punched by someone in the crowd and later had to withdraw into the city hall building. City counsellor Oleg Cernei was also pushed and shoved.

h/t www.stireazilei.md
www.unimedia.md
www.protv.md

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