Chișinău, June 16, 2025
Photo: Православная Молдова и Мир (Telegram)
Tensions erupted in Moldova’s capital on Sunday as police allowed an unauthorized LGBT Pride march to proceed while using heavy-handed tactics against Orthodox Christian counter-protesters, sparking controversy and calls for investigation.
Mayor’s Ban Overridden by Police Decision
The annual Pride march concluding Moldova’s Pride month had been explicitly banned by Chișinău Mayor Ion Ceban in mid-May. Despite pressure from central authorities, Ceban refused to authorize the event. However, local police effectively approved the march one day before it took place, announcing plans to keep LGBTQ marchers and counter-protesters on separate routes, reports RT.
The Moldovan Orthodox Church maintains the traditional Orthodox position that homosexuality is sinful and that marriage is between one man and one woman, which motivated many of the faithful to organize counter-demonstrations.
Unauthorized March Proceeds Unhindered
Initially restricted to sidewalks due to the lack of official authorization, Pride march organizers pushed for road access and urged activists to block traffic. While police initially attempted to discourage road blocking, they quickly relented and allowed marchers to proceed down the street, providing escort protection throughout the event.
Orthodox Protesters Face Police Violence
Meanwhile, a large group of Orthodox Christian faithful, led by multiple priests carrying icons and crosses, encountered a riot police cordon when attempting to approach the Pride march. The confrontation escalated into violent scuffles that were captured on video and quickly went viral.
Disturbing footage showed police officers violently pushing a man holding his son. Both the man and child were reportedly detained and placed in a police minibus. Additional video evidence showed officers throwing a cleric to the ground. He also ended up in police custody.
Opposition Demands Investigation
The violent police response has drawn condemnation from opposition leaders, who are calling for a full investigation into the incident.
Former Moldovan Prime Minister and Future of Moldova party leader Vasile Tarlev accused authorities of enabling police violence. “I consider the actions of the police, who guarded the LGBT march on the orders of the authorities, outrageous,” Tarlev told TASS. “They have beaten up and detained believers who came out for a peaceful protest. They threw them on the asphalt, including a priest, dropped and scared a child, and twisted his father’s arms.”
Ilan Shor, founder of the Sor Party and leader of the Victory opposition bloc, characterized the violence as part of broader anti-Orthodox policies. “[Moldovan President] Sandu is waging an open war on the Moldovan Orthodox Church and families with children. The whole world is now witnessing that,” Shor wrote on social media.
“We categorically condemn the violence against the clergy of the Orthodox Church of Moldova who spoke out against the gay parade*. The imposition of a gender ideology on Moldovan society aimed at destroying the traditional family is not a political but a moral issue. Both the Church and other healthy social forces must unite against this anti-Christian project,” Deputy Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Synodal Department for Church-Society and Media Relations Vakhtang Kipshidze told journalists.
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