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PROTEST AGAINST STATE TERRORISM INTERRUPTED: POLICE NOTICED "AGGRESSION" IN PROTESTERS (VIDEO)
12.16.2014 12:27 epress.am
Yesterday, around 70 citizens gathered for artist Ara Petrosyan's
organized rally "Against State Terrorism," which condemned the attacks
on HAK faction secretary Aram Manukyan and 3 veterans.
According to rally's planned route, protesters were supposed to hold
a protest in front of the police building first, and then walk toward
the Presidential Palace. However, the rally's plan changed; around
50 police officers stood on the sidewalk of Nalbandyan St. near the
police building keeping protesters away from the building for around
2 hours. The protesters on the sidewalk were chanting "Shame, shame,"
"Yeranosyan, Scarecrow." Recall, that the Yerevan deputy-police chief
Levon Yeranosyan stated that "I have nothing to hold back; while I'm
on the job, if anyone in this country tries to say anything against
the Republic's President I'll cut their dog ears off,"
During the entire rally police did not answer the questions of either
protesters or journalists. They also did not explain the reasons
behind their actions. One of the journalists covering the rally called
the Police's media service, where public relations department staffer
Armen Malkhasyan initially asked to "call back in 15 minutes," however,
he did not respond to any calls afterward.
The activists called the Human Rights Defender's office. The office
sent a few experts, to which an officer named Sargsyan explained to
them that they were not letting the protesters near the building
because they feel they have an "aggressive attitude." When asked
if they saw aggressive behavior among all the protesters, Sargsyan
answered negatively saying that they predicted that the protesters
would not behave properly near the police building.
Police representatives also said that the organizer did not inform
them earlier about the rally. Note, that according to article 9 part
1 of the Law on the Freedom of Assembly "in order to conduct a public
protest the organizer must in written form inform an authorized body,
except for those with less than a 100 participants and those urgent
and spontaneous protests."
The Ombudsman's office staff said there was a contradiction to the
police's responses, if the police are not allowing the protesters
near the police building, then how are the police securing their
freedom of assembly?
Video in Armenian only.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T8Y_9R1_t8
After waiting for two hours, the protesters decided to take the
rally to the Presidential Palace and to conduct a citizens' meeting
about the protest and their future plans. The rally's organizer Ara
Petrosyan stressed that this protest was the first step, "let them
know that we aren't going to keep quiet."
http://www.epress.am/en/2014/12/16/protest-against-state-terrorism-interrupted-police-noticed-%E2%80%9Caggression%E2%80%9D-in-protesters-video.html
12.16.2014 12:27 epress.am
Yesterday, around 70 citizens gathered for artist Ara Petrosyan's
organized rally "Against State Terrorism," which condemned the attacks
on HAK faction secretary Aram Manukyan and 3 veterans.
According to rally's planned route, protesters were supposed to hold
a protest in front of the police building first, and then walk toward
the Presidential Palace. However, the rally's plan changed; around
50 police officers stood on the sidewalk of Nalbandyan St. near the
police building keeping protesters away from the building for around
2 hours. The protesters on the sidewalk were chanting "Shame, shame,"
"Yeranosyan, Scarecrow." Recall, that the Yerevan deputy-police chief
Levon Yeranosyan stated that "I have nothing to hold back; while I'm
on the job, if anyone in this country tries to say anything against
the Republic's President I'll cut their dog ears off,"
During the entire rally police did not answer the questions of either
protesters or journalists. They also did not explain the reasons
behind their actions. One of the journalists covering the rally called
the Police's media service, where public relations department staffer
Armen Malkhasyan initially asked to "call back in 15 minutes," however,
he did not respond to any calls afterward.
The activists called the Human Rights Defender's office. The office
sent a few experts, to which an officer named Sargsyan explained to
them that they were not letting the protesters near the building
because they feel they have an "aggressive attitude." When asked
if they saw aggressive behavior among all the protesters, Sargsyan
answered negatively saying that they predicted that the protesters
would not behave properly near the police building.
Police representatives also said that the organizer did not inform
them earlier about the rally. Note, that according to article 9 part
1 of the Law on the Freedom of Assembly "in order to conduct a public
protest the organizer must in written form inform an authorized body,
except for those with less than a 100 participants and those urgent
and spontaneous protests."
The Ombudsman's office staff said there was a contradiction to the
police's responses, if the police are not allowing the protesters
near the police building, then how are the police securing their
freedom of assembly?
Video in Armenian only.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T8Y_9R1_t8
After waiting for two hours, the protesters decided to take the
rally to the Presidential Palace and to conduct a citizens' meeting
about the protest and their future plans. The rally's organizer Ara
Petrosyan stressed that this protest was the first step, "let them
know that we aren't going to keep quiet."
http://www.epress.am/en/2014/12/16/protest-against-state-terrorism-interrupted-police-noticed-%E2%80%9Caggression%E2%80%9D-in-protesters-video.html