The Union Council addresses towards the country’s Government, as well as to the Non-Governmental Organizations, to allocate funds for the reconstruction of the Liberation Tower. Members of the Council stated in a press conference that the monument was built in 1942 in order to commemorate Basarabia’s liberation, by Romanian troops, from the Soviet occupation; it was placed in Ghidighici, but it was destroyed by Red Army troops, two years later, reports Info-Prim Neo. Council’s Co-President Timotei Turcanu stated that November 1, 2012 marks 70 years from the first inauguration of the Liberation Tower. “With this occasion and with the goal of commemorating our nation’s martyrs, of the rehabilitation of historical identity for Romanians from all over the world, in the hopes of awakening national identity and pride, the Union Council expresses their hope in managing to rebuild the Liberation Tower”, said Timotei Turcanu. According to the Union’s Co-President, this monument has to be an exact replica of the first version. It should be 30 meters tall, and have three compartments: the tower, the brick block and the rock columns. In addition, the members of the Union Council want the image of this monument on the covers of History books. During the press conference, Co-President of the Union Council Stefan Marinescu pointed out that June 28 is drawing near, which is a dark day in the history of our people. “We will mark June 28 as a dark day in the history of Basarabia. Starting that day, the Soviet soldiers invaded Basarabia and began their crimes. Thousands were killed for not being loyal to the Soviet regime, thousands were deported, among which professors, intellectuals”, said journalist Stefan Marinescu. President of the Romanian Union in Basarabia, North of Bucovina, and Herta Gheorghe Vita, Co-President of the Union Council, stated that the people should venerate its past, ethnicity, language and culture. Gheorghe Vita addressed all non-Romanian-speaking residents, mentioning that every citizen of the Republic of Moldova should know the country’s language. “We were born on this soil, we are Romanians, we have Romanian culture, and we speak Romanian, and want you (i.e. non-speakers) to do so too. Learn to speak Romanian!” said Gheorghe Vita. President of the War Veterans Association Tiras-Tighina Anatol Caraman, Co-President of the Union Council, stated that it is unimaginable that some MPs, Parliamentary and non-Parliamentary Parties do not agree that June 28 was a day of Soviet occupation. “In spite of everything, we declare that nothing will be able to extinguish the flame of our dignity”, stated the lieutenant colonel. Representatives of the Union Council will organize a protest in front of the Russian Embassy, as a reminder of the importance of this day.