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POLICE CLASH WITH YEREVAN PARK PROTESTERS
Karlen Aslanian
http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24537803.html
04.04.2012
Armenia - Prominent campaigners demonstrate against kiosk construction
in Yerevan's Mashtots Park, 4 Apr 2012.
Riot police used force against environmental campaigners on Wednesday
in a continuing standoff over the controversial construction of kiosks
in a small public park in downtown Yerevan.
The violence erupted after two dozen intellectuals and other
public figures broke through a police cordon to occupy some of the
under-construction shops placed there last month. Police officers
pushed them out moments later but did not arrest anyone despite an
earlier warning.
The warning was issued late last week after a group of prominent
Armenians joined in more than month-long protests staged in Mashtots
Park by dozens of younger activists on a virtually daily basis. They
threatened to dismantle the kiosks if the authorities do not do that
themselves by Wednesday.
Armenia - Riot police guard kiosks in Yerevan's Mashtots Park against
environmental activists, 4Apr2012.xArmenia - Riot police guard kiosks
in Yerevan's Mashtots Park against environmental activists, 4Apr2012.
â~@~Kâ~@~KThe policemen exercised caution as they forcibly removed the
protesters wearing yellow construction hard hats from the properties.
One of them, film director Tigran Khzmalian, was dragged away by
several officers after holding on to a kiosk pillar.
"Get him out but without [too much] physical force," Robert Melkonian,
a deputy chief of the Yerevan police present at the scene, told his
subordinates.
Another protester, political scientist Andreas Ghukasian, challenged
Melkonian to arrest him and his comrades. "We are ready. Punish us,"
said Ghukasian.
"We don't want to arrest you," replied Melkonian. "I'm just amazed
by your strong desire." "We are urging you not to go to extremes,"
added the police official.
The campaigners left the park shortly afterwards, promising to
stage fresh and larger protests there. "This is only the beginning,"
Khzmalian told journalists. "We will bring along a hundred, a thousand,
ten thousand people."
From: A. Papazian
Karlen Aslanian
http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24537803.html
04.04.2012
Armenia - Prominent campaigners demonstrate against kiosk construction
in Yerevan's Mashtots Park, 4 Apr 2012.
Riot police used force against environmental campaigners on Wednesday
in a continuing standoff over the controversial construction of kiosks
in a small public park in downtown Yerevan.
The violence erupted after two dozen intellectuals and other
public figures broke through a police cordon to occupy some of the
under-construction shops placed there last month. Police officers
pushed them out moments later but did not arrest anyone despite an
earlier warning.
The warning was issued late last week after a group of prominent
Armenians joined in more than month-long protests staged in Mashtots
Park by dozens of younger activists on a virtually daily basis. They
threatened to dismantle the kiosks if the authorities do not do that
themselves by Wednesday.
Armenia - Riot police guard kiosks in Yerevan's Mashtots Park against
environmental activists, 4Apr2012.xArmenia - Riot police guard kiosks
in Yerevan's Mashtots Park against environmental activists, 4Apr2012.
â~@~Kâ~@~KThe policemen exercised caution as they forcibly removed the
protesters wearing yellow construction hard hats from the properties.
One of them, film director Tigran Khzmalian, was dragged away by
several officers after holding on to a kiosk pillar.
"Get him out but without [too much] physical force," Robert Melkonian,
a deputy chief of the Yerevan police present at the scene, told his
subordinates.
Another protester, political scientist Andreas Ghukasian, challenged
Melkonian to arrest him and his comrades. "We are ready. Punish us,"
said Ghukasian.
"We don't want to arrest you," replied Melkonian. "I'm just amazed
by your strong desire." "We are urging you not to go to extremes,"
added the police official.
The campaigners left the park shortly afterwards, promising to
stage fresh and larger protests there. "This is only the beginning,"
Khzmalian told journalists. "We will bring along a hundred, a thousand,
ten thousand people."
From: A. Papazian