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Police may allow opposition to enter Liberty Square on April 8 - Alike Sargsyan
14:57 - 26.03.11
The police may allow opposition to enter Liberty Square on April 8,
the Chief of Police has said.
Speaking to Tert.am, Alik Sargsyan said that he does not currently
rule out the possibility that the police would allow the participants
of the rally to be organized by the Armenian National Congress to
continue it on Liberty Square.
`At this moment I don't rule it out. We will see what the situation
will be like,' said Sargsyan. `In any case we are doing everything not
to spark any conflict-prone situations. Nor there is such need.'
Liberty Square has traditionally been an arena for demonstrations.
After the 1 March 2008 post-election clashes that left at least 10
killed and dozens wounded.
It was closed for the construction of an underground parking lot and
re-opened in spring 2010. Since then the Yerevan Municipality has
repeatedly rejected opposition's bid to sanction it a rally there. But
during the April 17 ally the police allowed the opposition ANC to
continue the rally on Liberty Square.
Alik Sargsyan further downplayed a widespread view that the venue of a
rally directly affects the number of the participants.
`The Liberty Square will in no way increase or decrease the number of
the participants of the rally. They [the opposition] will have the
same number they have now. It does not matter whether [the rally] is
near the Matenadaran or not,' Sargsyan said.
According to him, the prestige of the police is being undermined each
time when a rally sanctioned by the authorities is being shifted into
another venue.
`As a result of these negotiations [like the March 17 rally ones] we
are giving way. I don't know how the people perceive this concession;
in any case the concession has nothing to do with the weaknesses of
the police,' Sargsyan explained.
`We just want there to be any conflict, and the participants of the
rally are our people, and we don't want any opposition, scuffles,' he
said.
Sargsyan also mentioned he regretted that the fact that the police
allowed the opposition to enter the Liberty Square on March 17 and
continue the rally there was perceived as a weakness of the police.
`Had we not wanted, we would have not allowed [it]. But we released
that there is no need to come into conflict. We did allow, as we have
been doing numerous times,' said Alik Sargsyan.
Tert.am
From: A. Papazian
14:57 - 26.03.11
The police may allow opposition to enter Liberty Square on April 8,
the Chief of Police has said.
Speaking to Tert.am, Alik Sargsyan said that he does not currently
rule out the possibility that the police would allow the participants
of the rally to be organized by the Armenian National Congress to
continue it on Liberty Square.
`At this moment I don't rule it out. We will see what the situation
will be like,' said Sargsyan. `In any case we are doing everything not
to spark any conflict-prone situations. Nor there is such need.'
Liberty Square has traditionally been an arena for demonstrations.
After the 1 March 2008 post-election clashes that left at least 10
killed and dozens wounded.
It was closed for the construction of an underground parking lot and
re-opened in spring 2010. Since then the Yerevan Municipality has
repeatedly rejected opposition's bid to sanction it a rally there. But
during the April 17 ally the police allowed the opposition ANC to
continue the rally on Liberty Square.
Alik Sargsyan further downplayed a widespread view that the venue of a
rally directly affects the number of the participants.
`The Liberty Square will in no way increase or decrease the number of
the participants of the rally. They [the opposition] will have the
same number they have now. It does not matter whether [the rally] is
near the Matenadaran or not,' Sargsyan said.
According to him, the prestige of the police is being undermined each
time when a rally sanctioned by the authorities is being shifted into
another venue.
`As a result of these negotiations [like the March 17 rally ones] we
are giving way. I don't know how the people perceive this concession;
in any case the concession has nothing to do with the weaknesses of
the police,' Sargsyan explained.
`We just want there to be any conflict, and the participants of the
rally are our people, and we don't want any opposition, scuffles,' he
said.
Sargsyan also mentioned he regretted that the fact that the police
allowed the opposition to enter the Liberty Square on March 17 and
continue the rally there was perceived as a weakness of the police.
`Had we not wanted, we would have not allowed [it]. But we released
that there is no need to come into conflict. We did allow, as we have
been doing numerous times,' said Alik Sargsyan.
Tert.am
From: A. Papazian