‘It Won’t Be Easy’: Protesting Drivers are Preparing a Surprise for Police

Gyumri owners of cars with Georgian plates are preparing to continue their protests on Feb. 12 at 1 pm. They’re planning on organizing a march with their vehicles, said Gyumri-based Asparez Journalists’ Club President Levon Barseghyan.

“In the morning, on instructions by Gyumri police chief Vahram Yengoyan, one of the drivers was, to put it mildly, invited to the police station. The drivers called me, I told them not to leave their cars and not to go anywhere until I come. By the time arrived, four police officers were quarreling with one driver, while they had succeeded in taking another one to the police station,” he said.

According to Barseghyan, the drivers began their march today outside the Asparez offices, the surrounding areas of which were blocked off by police on Feb. 8 and 10 — police had prohibited drivers of vehicles with Georgian plates to enter the area.

“There were more than 120 cars participating in today’s march, while road police vehicles were peacefully guiding them. The march passed through Gyumri’s main roads and concluded outside the police building, since during the march, road police officers had asked one of the drivers to come to the station. The ‘marchers’ decided to show their support to their friend and followed behind him,” he said.

The chief of Gyumri’s road police, Colonel Artur Bichakhchyan, seeing more than 200 people outside the building, asked why people were gathering.

“I and the drivers explained to him that we’ve come to support the driver who’s currently being held in the police station,” said Barseghyan, adding that  the driver was released shortly after.

The Asparez Journalists’ Club president noted that drivers from Stepanavan and Vanadzor also express their support for Gyumri drivers, and they condemn all political manipulations of their protests.

“The drivers say they will continue their protests and the most important thing here is that they’re initiating and organizing them. They have decided not to announce the day’s route ahead of time. They’ll decide only 5 minutes before the march, and the driver in the front will know this; the rest will follow him.

“The drivers say that with this method, they are going to cause great concern to police, and they’ve promised that ‘it won’t be easy’ for them [i.e. police],” concluded Barseghyan.

Photo: Asparez Journalists’ Club