Epress.am News from Armenia
Selling handicrafts at Freedom Square is profitable since they don’t ask you to pay for rent for the area, one of the owners of the stands at Yerevan’s Freedom Square that sell small trinkets told Epress.am today.
Speaking with the owners and retailers at the square turned out to be more difficult than expected: sellers of silverware, shirts, wooden objects and souvenirs didn’t want to respond to questions to journalists, while the three who did speak to us did not wish to be named.
They explained that the exhibit-sale at Freedom Square was organized by city hall. “We all work at Vernissage [a popular outdoor market in central Yerevan that caters to mostly tourists]. The Municipality told us that such an event was planned, [and] we gladly came and participated,” said one female seller.
“We pay 1,000 AMD for a place at Vernissage. Besides, I don’t understand why people see something bad in this: they say, aren’t you ashamed, you are being a mercenary here, but I don’t think that displaying our work is petty trading [mercenariness],” she said, adding that organizing such exhibit-sales is accepted in the world and there’s nothing bad in that.
“I have been to Europe and seen similar events in such squares,” she said.
The other two individuals who spoke with Epress.am said nearly the same thing, noting that the space is free and it’s good that it’s in the center of the city.
“It’s just that they had to advertise more, so that many people knew about this,” said one man.
All three sellers attempted to justify their existence at Freedom Square, even though the Epress.am journalist didn’t ask any questions to justify their reasons.
Note that for the last month and a half, the Armenian National Congress has put forth numerous requests for a permit — which have been denied — from Yerevan City Hall to hold a rally in the aforementioned Freedom Square. Previously, the municipality explained that an agreement had already been signed for the bouncy castle and other attractions for children which have been set up in the square. Later, city hall explained that preparations for Yerevan-Erebuni celebrations were underway and that’s why a rally could not be held in the same area. Currently, in Freedom Square there are umbrellas under which various trinkets are sold.