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Troops patrol bruised Yerevan
By Matthew Collin
BBC News, Yerevan
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/ europe/7273713.stm
Published: 2008/03/02 14:30:55 GMT
The day after clashes in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, the streets appear
calm.
But that is not surprising, as the authorities have sent in the army to
prevent further unrest after a night of violence between riot police and
protesters who claim that February's presidential elections were rigged.
The mood remains tense and many people are still fearful.
Soldiers with automatic weapons and armoured vehicles stand guard outside
government buildings in Yerevan's Republic Square.
A short walk away, security forces have also been stationed in the square
which the protesters temporarily occupied on Saturday evening, before the
riot police moved in.
The tarmac is still strewn with debris and bricks which appear to have been
used as missiles by the protesters as they fought back against armed
officers who fired gunshots and tear gas.
There are also burnt-out cars and the wrecks of buses which the protesters
had used as barricades.
Casualties
A state of emergency has been declared, mass gatherings have been banned and
restrictions imposed on the media.
A spokesman for Armenian opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian condemned the
police operation.
"It's hard for me to find words to describe a government which uses force
against its own people," he told the BBC.
That was before officials announced that eight people had died during the
unrest on Saturday, and many more had been injured.
In an interview with the BBC just after the clashes broke out, the Armenian
Foreign Minister, Vardan Oskanian, defended the decision to impose a state
of emergency.
"The president did it with great regret, but I don't think he was left with
any other option, because the crowd had become so aggressive and out of
control, so it was necessary to ensure public safety," Mr Oskanian said.
He admitted the unrest could damage Armenia's international image, but
blamed Mr Ter-Petrosian for refusing to negotiate and effectively demanding
regime change.
Tent city
Mr Ter-Petrosian had referred to the 11-day, round-the-clock protests as a
"democratic revolution".
The shooting was constant and very heavy for more than an hour
Lori, a Yerevan resident
His supporters had set up a tent camp on Yerevan's Freedom Square, which had
become the focus for mass rallies involving tens of thousands of people
every day.
The scene was reminiscent of the Orange Revolution in Ukraine in 2004,
although on a much smaller scale.
Protesters lit fires and set up braziers to keep warm amid freezing
temperatures. A photographic exhibition was set up outside one tent; outside
another, there was a bulletin board with the latest news from the opposition
campaign.
Some people had decorated their tents with flowers and slogans calling on
Western governments to recognise what they described as massive fraud in
February's presidential elections, which gave victory to the prime minister,
Serzh Sarkisian.
International observers gave the polls a largely positive assessment,
although they did point to serious shortcomings.
Law enforcement
Earlier this week, one of the tent-camp organisers, 25-year-old Marine,
vowed they would stay as long as it took to achieve victory.
"People believe that no-one could attack them in Freedom Square, because
that would be a big, big mistake," she told the BBC.
But the authorities repeatedly warned that the protests were unlicensed and
illegal, and said they were disrupting the everyday life of the capital.
Police moved in to clear the tent camp at daybreak on Saturday, just hours
before the city centre descended into chaos.
Early this morning, the Armenian opposition called on its supporters to go
home to avert more violence.
The police have also warned people in Yerevan to obey the state of
emergency.
By Matthew Collin
BBC News, Yerevan
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/ europe/7273713.stm
Published: 2008/03/02 14:30:55 GMT
The day after clashes in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, the streets appear
calm.
But that is not surprising, as the authorities have sent in the army to
prevent further unrest after a night of violence between riot police and
protesters who claim that February's presidential elections were rigged.
The mood remains tense and many people are still fearful.
Soldiers with automatic weapons and armoured vehicles stand guard outside
government buildings in Yerevan's Republic Square.
A short walk away, security forces have also been stationed in the square
which the protesters temporarily occupied on Saturday evening, before the
riot police moved in.
The tarmac is still strewn with debris and bricks which appear to have been
used as missiles by the protesters as they fought back against armed
officers who fired gunshots and tear gas.
There are also burnt-out cars and the wrecks of buses which the protesters
had used as barricades.
Casualties
A state of emergency has been declared, mass gatherings have been banned and
restrictions imposed on the media.
A spokesman for Armenian opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian condemned the
police operation.
"It's hard for me to find words to describe a government which uses force
against its own people," he told the BBC.
That was before officials announced that eight people had died during the
unrest on Saturday, and many more had been injured.
In an interview with the BBC just after the clashes broke out, the Armenian
Foreign Minister, Vardan Oskanian, defended the decision to impose a state
of emergency.
"The president did it with great regret, but I don't think he was left with
any other option, because the crowd had become so aggressive and out of
control, so it was necessary to ensure public safety," Mr Oskanian said.
He admitted the unrest could damage Armenia's international image, but
blamed Mr Ter-Petrosian for refusing to negotiate and effectively demanding
regime change.
Tent city
Mr Ter-Petrosian had referred to the 11-day, round-the-clock protests as a
"democratic revolution".
The shooting was constant and very heavy for more than an hour
Lori, a Yerevan resident
His supporters had set up a tent camp on Yerevan's Freedom Square, which had
become the focus for mass rallies involving tens of thousands of people
every day.
The scene was reminiscent of the Orange Revolution in Ukraine in 2004,
although on a much smaller scale.
Protesters lit fires and set up braziers to keep warm amid freezing
temperatures. A photographic exhibition was set up outside one tent; outside
another, there was a bulletin board with the latest news from the opposition
campaign.
Some people had decorated their tents with flowers and slogans calling on
Western governments to recognise what they described as massive fraud in
February's presidential elections, which gave victory to the prime minister,
Serzh Sarkisian.
International observers gave the polls a largely positive assessment,
although they did point to serious shortcomings.
Law enforcement
Earlier this week, one of the tent-camp organisers, 25-year-old Marine,
vowed they would stay as long as it took to achieve victory.
"People believe that no-one could attack them in Freedom Square, because
that would be a big, big mistake," she told the BBC.
But the authorities repeatedly warned that the protests were unlicensed and
illegal, and said they were disrupting the everyday life of the capital.
Police moved in to clear the tent camp at daybreak on Saturday, just hours
before the city centre descended into chaos.
Early this morning, the Armenian opposition called on its supporters to go
home to avert more violence.
The police have also warned people in Yerevan to obey the state of
emergency.