A number of vendors working at the Central Market of Chisinau in the morning of May 16 mounted a new protest. The people demanded to reopen the markets so that they could work and earn their living.

The organizer of the protest Ruslan Verbitski said the market sellers are discriminated as the shops, which are closed spaces, are allowed to work. Not all the patent holders received the one-time allowance from the state, while those who got it cannot manage on 2,775 lei only.

The protesters carried placards with the message “You have salaries, but we are starving!”

Before the protest, the participants put their names on a list. The event initially involved over 80 persons, but only 50 were asked to remain so as not to violate the rule saying the assemblies must not involve more than 50 people. The participants were asked to maintain social distancing and to wear protective masks.

The markets in Chisinau were closed in March, together with the declaring of the state of emergency. The Commission for Exceptional Situations allowed the markets all over the country, except for those in Chisinau and Bălți, to resume work on May 11. The National Extraordinary Commission for Public Health, which took over from the CES, also ordered that the markets in the municipalities of Chisinau and Bălți should remain closed until May 31.