Sit-In Outside Presidential Residence Wraps Up, But Demonstrators Promise to Return Tomorrow with Tents

Residents promised units in new buildings constructed on Aram, Yekmalyan, Buzand and Saryan streets protesting outside the presidential residence since this morning ended their demonstration at 2 pm.

Nevertheless, they are prepared to return tomorrow and organize a sit-in not across the street from the president’s residence (where they were gathered today) but immediately in front of the gates.

“They perpetually force us to write letters and give them to the Presidential Oversight [i.e. Control] Service. How much longer? We’ve been writing letters for several years to different departments; we have hundreds of letters, but in vain — no issue has been solved, this is just a way to buy time and put a soft pillow below beneath their heads. And now they’re trying to convince us to be patient, till these few months pass, the parliamentary elections — likewise, they will maintain their positions and we’ll be left with nothing, no resolution,” said sit-in participant Sona Maghakyan.

Sit-in participants assert that they will continue their protests until Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan agrees to meet with them.

“Tomorrow we’ll come with placards; we’ll even bring tents and sleeping bags and we’ll park ourselves outside the presidential residence gates. We’re certain that police units will create a panic, an atmosphere of fear, so that we, terrified, go home. We will say in advance: we won’t go anywhere till our demand is met,” she said.

Demonstrators assert that the presidential residence is the final and decisive point.

Recall, in 2006, the residents (whose apartments were recognized as public priority interest) agreed to leave their homes on the condition that they would be given new units in the new buildings to be constructed on the same site. For this they signed an agreement with a developer by the name of Gagik Papoyan, but the residents still haven’t received their new apartments — in fact, the units have been resold to third parties.

Late last year, Armenia’s Special Investigation Service (SIS) launched a criminal case, but Papoyan cannot be found. Residents say the SIS informed them that that the case could take months as hundreds of people have to be questioned in connection with the case.