Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Moldova has come increasingly under the influence of the Orthodox Christian Church. As result, it has been marred by human rights violations, including violations of freedom of association and freedom of speech. Moldova's first pride parade was held in 2002. Since then, however, pride parades have encountered stiff opposition from authorities and religious leaders, and have often been cancelled or banned due to safety concerns. A successful pride parade took place in May 2018 in Chișinău, after police officials protected the participants from violent radical Orthodox groups.