About 100 fans of the Hyde Park night talk show at the municipal radio station Antena C marched on Monday through the centre of Chisinau as a sign of protest against the closure of this programme, accusing the power of attempt to obstruct the freedom of expression.

Participants in the protest march gathered in front of the parliament headquarters and walked on the boulevard Stefan cel Mare, in front of the government headquarters, near the Chisinau City Hall to the headquarters of the Audio-visual Coordinating Council (CCA) They carried placards with inscriptions: "Europe, Rescue Us from Communists!", "We Want a Free Press, a Free Society!", "We Ask Protection for National Mass Media!", "Freedom to Ilascu Group!".

Several participants had their mouths closed with plasters with inscription "Down with the Censorship!". Traffic on the central boulevard of Chisinau was blocked for about one hour and several police patrols ensured the public order and accompanied the marchers.

Hyde Park moderator Oleg Brega stated to BASA that the protest action aimed to inform the public opinion about "what the communist power has done in the two years of rule."

"We protest against the censorship and we want a free, not manipulated press," he stressed.

A Hyde Park listener, Vasile Cantler, told the press that the authorities had closed "the only talk show available for all the persons who want to speak Romanian freely."

The municipal radio station Antena C shut down the "Hyde Park" talk show in late June in compliance with a decision of the CCA, which had demanded action to crack down on what it described "calls for violence, xenophobia, and upset of the constitutional order."

CCA chairman Ion Mihailo stated that the audiovisual council cannot be made responsible for the closure of the show, because the CCA had only asked the station "to take measures that its broadcasts meet the rules of decency and the letter of law."