Supporting Democracy in Moldova: People at Harvard MIT NY & DC Protest Abusive Regime and Censorship

 cc:  Dan Patterson 

by Diana Iovescu Tatucu 

April 10, 2009  
Cambridge - On Friday Harvard Square was taken by storm by over 100 demonstrators chanting "Support Democracy in Moldova! Free Kidnapped Students! Freedom of the Press! Freedom of Expression!" Social networking site Facebook was the main tool used to organize the meeting in support of the students protesting in Moldova.

"Those back home need to know that they aren't alone and that those
of us that are here are with them. We care, and we're behind them,"
declared Elena, a student at a Boston area university.

Like many in Moldova and Romania, the Romanian students of Boston
as well as the Romanian community here look with hope on the recent
events in Moldova. To show their solidarity with the students there,
the Romanian Students Associations of Harvard and MIT decided to
organize a support protest in Boston. Similar demonstrations took place
at the same time in New York and Washington, D.C.
For well over two hours, the atmosphere in Harvard Square
was incendiary. Members of the local community were not indifferent,
many joining the group of protesters. "It's shocking that in the
twenty-first century there is still media censorship. We are here
because we care about our classmates and the safety of their families
in Moldova. We want to support democracy in their country," said an
American student at Harvard.

Fear still reigns over the population, even outside of Moldova

Even in America, the majority of Moldovans were afraid to say something that
could in any way affect their family members back home. Those with the
courage to speak preferred to remain anonymous to be sure their
families would remain safe.

"I'm afraid, all of my family is back home and I don't want
Voronin's people to arrest my parents or my sister. They're really
doing horrible things there!" added Elena.

The organizers of the protest repeatedly wished to make clear that the purpose of the protest
was to support democracy in Moldova and to bring the abuses of the
communist regime to the attention of those in America.