Epress.am News from Armenia
Some of the participants of the sit-in protest dispersed by the Armenian police on July 6 have addressed on Wednesday a message to the RA President Serzh Sargsyan, introducing the further steps in their fight against the hike in electricity tariffs: their main demand that electricity rates be decreased, the protesters said, remained unchanged.
The message was read out on central Baghramyan Avenue – at former demonstration site – by Davit Sanasaryan, one of the leaders of the protest movement and member of opposition “Heritage” party, who was taken into police custody during the July 6 dispersal. Their message, Sanasaryan said, was “addressed to [Republican Party of Armenia] Chairman Serzh Sargsyan,” and has been authored by the members of the newly-formed “Rise Up, Armenia!” initiative comprised of those demonstrators who spoke out against meeting Sargsyan, as well as remained on Baghramyan Avenue on July 28, while some other sit-in participants moved to the nearby Freedom Square.
The fight, as stated in the message, will proceed in three phases: in the first phase, information leaflets explaining that the demand to reverse the price increase is legitimate will be handed out to all families in Armenia.
“In the second phase [of the fight], we will block the main streets in Yerevan and other cities. Then it will become clear to everyone that police brutality is powerless against the peaceful rallies of citizens. In the third phase, we will once again hand out flyers and explain to everyone why it is important to refuse to pay for utilities, including telephone bills, in a systematic manner as long as the people's demands are not fulfilled.
“With our actions we will create a situation in the country where sponsors and supporters will no longer be able to save you, and you will be forced to return the power to the people,” the message addressed to Serzh Sargsyan read.