Moldova: Two separate protests, two different agendas!

By Greg Butterfield 

September 6: There is serious confusion about the protests in Chisinau, Moldova, today.

There were two different protests — one well financed, by groups waving EU flags; another, completely separate, by genuine antifascist forces led by the communist Red Bloc. The second protest was attacked by police and several leading comrades were arrested on the steps of the General Prosecutors Office.

Police attack anti-fascist, anti-austerity protest in Chisinau, Moldova, Sept. 6.

Unfortunately, some reports, including the usually authoritative Colonel Cassad, imply that BOTH are part of a new Maidan in Moldova (or rather that they are one and the same protest). This is dangerous since the anti-fascist Red Bloc comrades are under serious attack from the pro-Ukrainian, pro-Maidan forces in Moldova, and deserve our solidarity.

For example, the photos and videos posted by Cassad here are mostly from the second, anti-fascist protest, NOT the pro-Maidan, pro-EU event, as the text suggests. Among those you can see being arrested are Grigory Petrenko, leader of the Red Bloc (formerly Our Home Moldova), who has been under attack as a “Russian agent” by the pro-Maidan government and oligarchy in Chisinau. This party is a friend to Transnistria and the Donbass people’s republics. Two other anti-fascists reported arrested today, Pavel Grigorchuk and Mikhail Amerberg, were held as political prisoners by the pro-EU regime for several months earlier this year.

Pavel Grigorchuk and Mikhail Amerberg, antifascists detained by pro-Ukrainian regime in November 2014, arrested again in Chisinau on Sept. 6.

Last week, on August 31, there were two protests in Kiev — the fascist rally at the Rada, and a smaller anti-war, anti-fascist protest at the City Hall. Completely separate protests, with completely different agendas. We would not confuse them in Kiev and we should not confuse them in Chisinau.

For more information on Red Bloc actions, visit Grenada.md.