Yerevan Street Traders Demand to Meet with Serzh Sargsyan Personally

Yerevan street traders are currently outside the Armenian presidential residence, asking to meet with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan personally.

While the protest is going on outside, Sargsyan is welcoming the president of Latvia inside, as a result of which Baghramyan Ave. was closed briefly. Demonstrators are prohibited from getting close to the sidewalk across the street from the president’s residence.

Protestors had brought posters and placards with them with inscriptions such as “Depriving people of work is a state crime,” “Serzh Sargsyan, stop emigration,” “SOS,” “Armenians are leaving Armenia,” “In our country, the state deprives us even of surviving,” “The mayor deprived us of [our daily] bread,” “Serzh Sargsyan, protect our right to work,” and “Don’t make supermarkets wealthy on account of street trade.”

Note, police presence noticeably increased during the demonstration; riot police were also on the scene.

Joining the demonstrators today was Heritage Party MP Zaruhi Postanjyan, who spoke with Arabkir police’s Lieutenant Colonel Avagimyan, who said they don’t allow people into the president’s residence “based on the security of the country.”

Protestors attempted to use the megaphone belonging to the Heritage Party, however, police prohibited making noise, noting that holding rallies or demonstrations in this area is forbidden.