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DECISION 2013: POLICE BEHAVIOR "GREAT DIFFERENCE" FROM FIVE YEARS AGO AS POST-ELECTION RALLIES PROCEED PEACEFULLY
http://armenianow.com/vote_2013/44009/raffi_hovannisian_anahit_bakhshyan_police_protest
VOTE 2013 | 28.02.13 | 14:29
Photolure
By GOHAR ABRAHAMYAN ArmeniaNow reporter
Despite the minor incidents that have occurred during the public
rallies in Yerevan and the provinces held by the official runner-up
in February 18 elections, oppositional candidate Raffi Hovannisian,
the post-election standoff is in most part peaceful and essentially
differs from the mass demonstrations of five years ago.
Heritage party leader Hovannisian challenging the official election
results has been meeting the residents of various Armenian provinces
for the past several days, as well as holding public rallies in
Yerevan with participation of a great number of supporters.
Heritage member Anahit Bakhshyan told ArmeniaNow that some incidents
have happened. She was mostly referring to the one case with her
party member, activist David Sanasaryan who asked a photographer
taking his photos to identify himself, during the Artashat rally;
in response the photographer used foul language leading to a squabble.
"Certainly, at crowded places incidents cannot be avoided, either among
people or with the police, but to be fair I have to say that there is
great difference between the police conduct five years ago and now,"
said Bakhshyan, adding that what she cannot understand is why the
National Security Service keeps pursuing Hovannisan's "Barevolution".
On Saturday, the election challenger had a meeting with more than
2,000 people in Gyunri, Shirak province, where he had earned more
votes than the incumbent president in the big run.
Chairman of Asparez Jounalists' Club Levon Baghdasaryan, who closely
followed the entire rally, says there were no disturbances, and that
although there were a great number of police officers in civilian
attire in the crowd, they were quite restrained.
"The policemen in civilian attire where extracting photo cameras from
their pockets, taking photos and people were waving to them well
aware that they were police officers, but we noticed no rudeness,"
says Baghdasaryan, adding that he hasn't received any alerts concerning
the photographs.
Meanwhile, Helsinki Citizens' Association Vadandzor office leader
Artur Sakunts told ArmeniaNow that his office has been receiving
unidentified calls from people, and told one case in particular, when
a police officer's father took part in the rally, he was called to
the department and was made to sign a promise that his father would
no longer go to a rally.
http://armenianow.com/vote_2013/44009/raffi_hovannisian_anahit_bakhshyan_police_protest
VOTE 2013 | 28.02.13 | 14:29
Photolure
By GOHAR ABRAHAMYAN ArmeniaNow reporter
Despite the minor incidents that have occurred during the public
rallies in Yerevan and the provinces held by the official runner-up
in February 18 elections, oppositional candidate Raffi Hovannisian,
the post-election standoff is in most part peaceful and essentially
differs from the mass demonstrations of five years ago.
Heritage party leader Hovannisian challenging the official election
results has been meeting the residents of various Armenian provinces
for the past several days, as well as holding public rallies in
Yerevan with participation of a great number of supporters.
Heritage member Anahit Bakhshyan told ArmeniaNow that some incidents
have happened. She was mostly referring to the one case with her
party member, activist David Sanasaryan who asked a photographer
taking his photos to identify himself, during the Artashat rally;
in response the photographer used foul language leading to a squabble.
"Certainly, at crowded places incidents cannot be avoided, either among
people or with the police, but to be fair I have to say that there is
great difference between the police conduct five years ago and now,"
said Bakhshyan, adding that what she cannot understand is why the
National Security Service keeps pursuing Hovannisan's "Barevolution".
On Saturday, the election challenger had a meeting with more than
2,000 people in Gyunri, Shirak province, where he had earned more
votes than the incumbent president in the big run.
Chairman of Asparez Jounalists' Club Levon Baghdasaryan, who closely
followed the entire rally, says there were no disturbances, and that
although there were a great number of police officers in civilian
attire in the crowd, they were quite restrained.
"The policemen in civilian attire where extracting photo cameras from
their pockets, taking photos and people were waving to them well
aware that they were police officers, but we noticed no rudeness,"
says Baghdasaryan, adding that he hasn't received any alerts concerning
the photographs.
Meanwhile, Helsinki Citizens' Association Vadandzor office leader
Artur Sakunts told ArmeniaNow that his office has been receiving
unidentified calls from people, and told one case in particular, when
a police officer's father took part in the rally, he was called to
the department and was made to sign a promise that his father would
no longer go to a rally.