Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Occupy Mashtots Park Activists To Begin Sit-In Amid Police Warnings

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Occupy Mashtots Park Activists To Begin Sit-In Amid Police Warnings

    OCCUPY MASHTOTS PARK ACTIVISTS TO BEGIN SIT-IN AMID POLICE WARNINGS

    epress.am
    03.13.2012

    Environmental and civic activists who have been coming nearly every
    day for almost a month to Mashtots Park to protest the construction
    of shops say they will begin a round-the-clock sit-in in the central
    Yerevan park.

    Recall, the shops were dismantled on Abovyan St. and moved to Mashtots
    Park where city officials say they will remain for 3 years (till the
    end of the city's 10-year contract with shop owners). Activists,
    however, continue to protest their construction in one of the few
    remaining green spaces in the downtown core.

    On a statement published on their Facebook page, Mashtots Park
    activists say they give city authorities until Mar. 16 to demolish
    the partially constructed shops.

    Asked by Epress.am what they'll do if the deadline is not met,
    activist Ruzanna Grigoryan said they intend to dismantle the kiosks
    with their own hands.

    Responding to the environmentalists' statements, Armenia's police force
    issued a statement of its own, warning activists and reminding them
    that seizing anyone else's private property is a gross violation of
    the law, which can be considered nothing other than taking the law
    into one's own hands.

    "Moreover, the illegal demolition of the pavilions inevitably will
    cause a considerable amount of damage to property owned by persons,
    which is a crime according to RA Criminal Code Article 185 ("willful
    destruction or destroying of property"), which those guilty of
    inevitably will be subject to criminal responsibility," reads the
    police statement.

    Note, those found guilty according to this criminal code article may
    be punished with a fine in the amount of 50 to 100 minimal salaries,
    or correctional labor for up to 1 year, or with arrest for a term of
    up to 2 months, or with imprisonment for the term of up to 2 years.

    The police also caution that holding rallies with the aim of the
    illegal, "rebellious" demolition of pavilions doesn't defend the right
    to freedom of assembly by law. Police urge the public to refrain from
    such actions and not heed any calls inciting illegal actions.

Working...
X