Protesters in Chisinau set up a tent camp

The participants of the protest in Chisinau against the illegal detention of the Bashkan (head) of the autonomy Evgenia Gutsul, activists of the opposition bloc Pobeda, set up a tent city in the evening, intending to spend the next night in shelters on the street. The police are trying to disperse the protesters. Footage from the scene of the August 16 events is published by Izvestia.

One of the protesters, responding to attempts by law enforcement officers to prevent the tents from being set up, appealed to them: "Police, be with the people!" Mikhail Vlakh, an adviser to the bashkan of Gagauzia, a public figure, said that people had gathered for a peaceful rally, demanding the immediate release of the head of the autonomy from prison.

"She's in prison illegally. We also demand that all political prisoners be released. We demand that the European Union, its current ambassador to Moldova, Janis Majakes, pay attention to our protest, so that there is more understanding that we are protesting peacefully here," Vlah said.

After that, Counselor Hutsul announced that he was going on a hunger strike in support of her. Thus, he wants the appeals of the protesters to be heard by EU officials and Moldovan authorities.

"I went on a hunger strike deliberately. The police went on a rampage today. I broke this town, the tents. I've been rampaging all day. This is the agony of the current government and the President of Moldova, Maia Sandu. Therefore, the hunger strike will be indefinite," he said in a conversation with a correspondent of Izvestia.

Waiting mode: Sandu will lose Gagauzia's votes in the elections due to the Hutsul verdict

How will this affect Chisinau's pro-Western course

Thousands of Gagauz residents arrived in Chisinau earlier on August 16 to peacefully protest against the illegal detention of Hutsuls. Hutsul supporters chanted slogans calling for the resignation of the Moldovan authorities. One of them said that they were trying to pit the Gagauz people against the Moldovans, since Romanian citizens were in power. However, this will not happen, as Gagauz and Moldovans have always lived peacefully.

On August 5, Hutsul was sentenced to seven years in prison in the case of her alleged financing of the Shor party. Initially, the prosecutor's office requested nine years in prison for her. On the same day, Evgenia Hutsul reported on the great support provided to her — the people of the autonomy gathered outside the courthouse, where her family members were not allowed at the time of sentencing. On August 13, international lawyers joined the defense of the interests of the Bashkan of Gagauzia.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.