An Orthodox Christian procession was stopped while an unauthorized Pride march was left undisturbed in Moldovas capital

Clashes involving riot police turning on protesters with young children blighted Chisinau, Moldova on Sunday, where an unauthorized Gay Pride march was forced through the EU candidate's capital city, despite angry protests from locals.

Pride march controversy

This year, the annual march that has usually concluded Moldova Pride month was not authorized by local authorities. Chisinau Mayor Ion Ceban firmly opposed and explicitly banned it in mid-May. Despite the pressure from the country's pro-EU government, the mayor refused to change his stance.

A day before the march, however, local police effectively approved it. Law enforcement said it has come up with a plan to ensure the paths of the LGBTQ marchers and two main counterprotests, staged by the country's largest opposition force, the Socialist party, and by the Future of Moldova party, did not intersect.

Unauthorized Pride march unhindered

The LGBTQ marchers were initially allowed to march only on sidewalks. The organizers, however, insisted the procession should occupy the whole streets and urged the activists to step in and block traffic.

While police initially attempted to talk the LGBTQ marchers out of blocking traffic, they eventually allowed the activists walk on the roads, escorting them instead.

Counterprotest met with heavy police response

One counter-protest, a large group of Christian Orthodox faithful led by priests, attempted to approach the march but was stopped by a riot police cordon. The standoff turned into scuffles between the activists, who carried icons and crosses, and law enforcement, with chaotic videos from the scene promptly going viral.

Police officers were seen violently pushing a man with a toddler in his arms. During the scuffle, the child hit his head on the ground, video suggests. The man apparently ended updetainedand forced, with the child, into a minibus.

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During the scuffle, police officers also threw a priest to the ground, another video shows. The cleric also reportedly ended up in police custody.

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The violence eventually waned, with only one Orthodox activist managing to get through the cordon to confront the Pride marchers before being led away by police.

Opposition condemns police violence

The violence has been condemned by opposition forces, who demanded an investigation into heavy-handed police action. Former Moldovan PM and the leader of the Future of Moldova party, Vasile Tarlev, accused the country's authorities of enabling police violence and called for a probe into the incident.

"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."

Sor Party founder and the leader of the Victory opposition bloc, exiled Israeli-Moldovan businessman Ilan Shor, has condemned the violence, stating it was a part of anti-Orthodox policies pursued by pro-EU Moldovan President Maia Sandu.

"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.

(RT.com)