Update on anti-communist protests in Moldova, Friday 10 April 2009

I was not able to access my blog for almost 6 hours in row, I hope my provider is not involved in that. Now it is still inaccessible so I had to use some advice and now I am through hidemyass.com. … did not work. Trying tor… . Tried to access blog from 2 other locations in the city – internet cafe with the same lack of success. Hurrraaaa…. long live Tor!!!!

Disturbing developments:

—- Rodica Mahu, editor at “Jurnal de Chisinau” newspaper was kidnapped today at 11.40 am local time by 4 policemen in civilian clothes, and transported to an unidentified location, reports the Center for Independent Journalism.

Update: Ms. Mahu was freed some 2 hours later, when local media inquired with the Ministry of Interior press-office the reasons behind arresting the journalist. When freed, Rodica Mahu stated the reason for arrest was “collecting information for attacking governmental building”, and that she was threatened but was not physically abused.

—- Twitter seemingly transforms into a sword with two edges. It seems authorities have learned the lesson and are using it to scare and discourage young people from gathering for protests. During yesterday and today I have seen that on #pman Twitter trend (used as a communication channel between protesters, young people, informing the Westerners on the developments on the protests in Moldova) many messages confirming that claim. Yesterday there were basically three messages that draw my attention, posted repeatedly:

1. Don’t go tomorrow to the main square to join protesters because there will be bloodshed;

2. you don’t have any leader, you are powerless, it is futile and useless to go to protest, nothing will change;

3. do not take your ID tomorrow with you, if you are going to join the protests. While the first two messages are basically used to scare, intimidate and discourage the potential protesters, the third one is really the interesting one. Anyone without an ID, can be detained by the police, until their identity is established, so not having an ID will offer the police a legitimate pretext to arrest you, even if you protest peacefully.

—- “Kommersant”, a Russian influential publication has written earlier today that in the morning, between 7 and 8 am local time a plane from Moscow has arrived (IL-76), which has brought “dangerous cargo”, including anti-riot equipment, such as teargas grenades of “Ceremuha” type and other things.

—- Many young people that took part in the protests have disappeared, eyewitnesses reported they have been detained by people in civilian, some of them brutally assaulted, cuffed, and transported in civilian cars to unknown locations. The numbers of disappeared young people may reach as low as 500, and human rights watchdogs and journalists affirm the people in civilian are either policemen or security services people. The most disturbing fact is that many young females are believed to be among the detained.