Students Urge Hovannisian to End Hunger Strike, But Continue his Activities

A group of high school students, along with their teachers, paid a visit to Heritage Party leader Raffi Hovannisian, who’s been on a hunger strike in Liberty Square since Mar. 15.

The students handed a letter to Hovannisian, urging him to end his hunger strike since, as it’s written in the letter, “his health is dear to them.”

“We understand very well that your appeal — returning power to the people, getting rid of corruption, preventing emigration, eliminating injustice and preserving our culture and the education of our ancestors — aims to ensure a prosperous and dignified future for our generation. On behalf of those of our generation we ask you to end your hunger strike in Liberty Square and continue your activities in other instances,” said the children.

Hovannisian, in turn, thanked the students and said:

“I hope that at least tomorrow I can give my initial and complete response to you, our young generation, because I believe that this small step of mine in Liberty Square not to bring great changes on a large scale, but that all, the authorities, the opposition, the public and the youth, understand that we can’t continue in this way.”

The Heritage Party leader also said he is preparing to respond to journalists’ questions tomorrow.

Speaking to Epress.am, the students said they came to Liberty Square upon their teachers’ initiative, but a little while later, a teacher who didn’t wish to identify herself said this wasn’t true, that it was in fact the students’ initiative to come here.

Junior Achievements NGO coordinator Anahit Manukyan, speaking to Epress.am, said since the students are studying civic education in school, their response was simply an expression of what they learned.