Epress.am News from Armenia
11:35 am: Police officers today came in droves to the park off Mashtots St. between Aram and Buzand streets adjacent to the maternity hospital where environmentalists for nearly a week non-stop have been protesting the construction of commercial kiosks in one of the city’s few remaining green spaces. For one week, the activists practicing civil disobedience weren’t allowing workers to continue building the kiosks. Today, however, police didn’t allow protestors near the kiosks.
As reported by the Epress.am correspondent on site, police have formed a human chain around the kiosks while construction workers tend to their work. This roused the ire of not only activists, but also opposition MP Zaruhi Postanjyan who is on the scene and also opposes the kiosk construction.
Also on site are Sardarapat movement members Jirair Sefilian and Garegin Zukaszyan, and Green Party of Armenia leader Armenak Dovlatyan, with more supporters arriving.
11:51 am: While police officers are keeping an eye on the kiosks, activists have stood in front of the concrete-mixing transport truck, blocking it from moving forward. The driver stepped out of the truck, threatening the activists: “Now I’ll hit you over the head with this metal rod.”
1:04 pm: Joining the activists is Kajaran village mayor Rafik Atayan, who with the same group of activists since last year has been opposing mine exploitation near his village.
1:17 pm: Activists and supporters insist that despite the cold, they’re not preparing to leave the park at all today.
1:18 pm: Protestors, joined by Heritage Party MP Stepan (Styopa) Safaryan, are waiting for Yerevan Police Chief Nerses Nazaryan to bring the papers stating the construction is legal.
1:19 pm: Sardarapat movement member, filmmaker Tigran Khzmalyan told Epress.am if a “wave of revolution” begins in Armenia, then it’ll begin right here, from Mashtots park. According to him, though the number of protesting youth is not great, they are strong and it’s this strength that will put an end to the authorities’ rule.
3:55 pm: At 4 pm, protestors will receive news from a city hall representative on the official decision regarding the retail outlets being constructed in the park. This news was conveyed by Heritage Party MP Zaruhi Postanjyan and conveyed to protestors by Yerevan Deputy Police Chief Robert Melkonyan.
Several activists marched around the city, raising awareness and urging fellow members of the public to join them in their struggle.
The protestors continue their sit-in at Mashtots park. They have asked Yerevan Policy Chief Nerses Nazaryan to terminate the construction work that began early this morning in the park, at least until Yerevan City Hall gives its official statement on the matter.
Environmentalists are concerned that this work is damaging the surrounding trees.
