Epress.am News from Armenia
4:30 pm: The numerous barricades surrounding the kiosks have been removed and all women are being permitted to enter the kiosks. Police are still on site but not hindering activists’ activity. Those gathered in the downtown Yerevan park are singing national songs and dancing.
Local environmentalist Mariam Sukhudyan has issued a call on her Facebook page to all women to join them and save the park. She points out that the time has come to join their struggle not only in spirit but also physically.
4:15 pm: Following negotiations with activists, police opted to remove the barricades surrounding the kiosks.
Female activists are calling on all women to join them inside the kiosks while men are asked to come and support them at the park. Women are also asking any decision made by police to be conveyed to them through a female delegate. There are no plans to leave the area.
3:55 pm: Police officers have approached the kiosks bearing bouquets of flowers, trying to bestow them upon the activists as a sign of peace. But the women are not accepting the flowers, saying instead: “We don’t need flowers, we need demolition [of the kiosks in the park].”
3:37 pm: Police are negotiating with the activists but are not permitting reporters from covering the talks.
Activists have also disseminated a statement that based on RA Constitution Article 2 (“In the Republic of Armenia the power belongs to the people”), they have established “a just and impartial civil court” which will be called to examine issues of public property, seizure of national wealth, plunder and privatization, as well as a number of environmental issues.
The first case already examined by the “people’s court” is the case of defending public space in Mashtots Park — the public v. city officials. The activists publicized the ruling, that the property on Mashtots Park is taken into custody and consequently, the police have no right to approach the kiosks.
3:15 pm: Women environmental and civic activists less than an hour ago occupied the partially constructed kiosks in Mashtots Park — a move they say is tied to International Women’s Day, celebrated on Mar. 8 around the world.
The women are standing inside the kiosks and attempted to dismantle them by hand. Chants of “The park is ours!” can be heard. The numbers of police has swelled as law enforcement officials try to get the women out of the kiosks. In addition, women from an Public Space Armenia have also arrived at the park but police aren’t permitting them to join the activists inside the kiosks. Activists are shouting “Militia, get out!”
Recall, environmental and civic activists have been camped out nearly every day for over three weeks in the central Yerevan park, protesting the construction of shops that were dismantled on Abovyan St. and moved to Mashtots Park, one of the few remaining green spaces in the Armenian capital. Authorities have stipulated that the shops (pavilions) are temporary — the owners of the shops on Abovyan St. had signed a 10-year contract with the city and have 3 years remaining on their contract. Thus, the shops were to be placed in the park for 3 years. Activists continue to oppose this move.