Epress.am News from Armenia
About two hundred residents this morning gathered outside Vardenis City Hall to complain about Vardenis Police Chief Valeriy Baghyan, who, in their view, after being appointed to the position, has put pressure on citizens. This news was conveyed to Epress.am by one of the demonstrators who preferred to remain anonymous.
"Day and night, they enter all of our homes, conduct searches, detain us without reasons — and all this for one reason: they're looking for gold ore," said the unnamed individual.
Protestors stressed that in the absence of work, the primary means of subsistence for Vardenis residents is to steal ore from the Sotki gold mine, and though realizing the negative aspects of their deed, the "bats" (as the gold ore thieves are called) say they have no choice but to continue to live the same lifestyle.
"We understand that this cannot be done, but we have to live — we're human, after all, right? Do you think we like risking our lives? But we have no other option. The new police chief has worn us all out: once is not enough — they search the same person's house a few times; take him away, frighten us, then say 'don't complain' and release us. In short, the police chief is at our throats. Are we to blame that there's no work, the factories are gone, they made us all into hobos? And now they've taken the gift of nature and given it to foreigners, and turned us into thieves. We're demanding [they] either create jobs or give us tickets so we can leave Armenia," concluded the anonymous protestor.
Epress.am called Vardenis City Hall to ask what the protestors discussed with the mayor. The person who identified herself as the secretary of staff confirmed the protest demonstration, but said she doesn't know why people were protesting, as she wasn't present at the meeting. She said the mayor is not in the office, promising to find out the details of the meeting and answer questions later.