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‘Go Participate in Your Parliament Sessions’: Police Drove Armenian MP to Tears

As reported by the Epress.am correspondent outside the government building where protests against the ban on street trade were taking place today, police were roughly shoving protestors as well as Heritage Party MPs Armen Martirosyan, Zaruhi Postanjyan and Anahit Bakhshyan, who had joined the protestors. Police could be seen kicking and punching those gathered, particularly Postanjyan. Bakhshyan seemed not to feel well and actually began to cry. An ambulance was called and the MP taken to hospital.

One of the police officers apparently in charge told Armen Martirosyan, “Go participate in your [parliamentary] meetings.” Recall, Heritage Party walked out of the last parliamentary meeting, announcing a boycott.

Also on the scene were activists Mariam Sukhudyan and Vardges Gaspari, the latter shouting “hooligans, scum!” while police were shoving him — so much that he fell to the ground. Six officers then grabbed him and pushed him into a police vehicle, then left the scene.

After these events, the officers very quickly and suddenly left the area. Protestors and activists were shouting after them, “You got an order, that’s why you’re leaving.” Demonstrators then stood in a single line, holding a poster with the inscription “Acknowledge my right to hate” on it.