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TENSE AND RESTRAINED GYUMRI: "WE WON'T BE THE SAME TOWARD RUSSIANS"
01.22.2015 12:56 epress.am
The numbers of Police forces are still quite noticeable in Gyumri and
they regularly cause indignation among locals. The Russian military
and their families have yet to return back to their daily lives,
which has hurt the incomes of local night clubs, saunas, restaurants,
stores, motels, taxi drivers, and sex workers.
On Wednesday, the adjacent streets to the Surb Nshan (St. Mark)
Church were impassable around noon. Six-month old Seryozha's funeral
procession began here and ended 6 km away at a cemetery, where the
7th grave was added to the six Avetisyan family members' tombstones.
Police brought in from Yerevan have been distributed on various
corners of the city and were surveillancing near Armenian and Russian
state and military buildings, as well as near squares and churches,
which are potential places for people to assembly.
Locals are restrained and mainly avoid speaking to journalists armed
with video cameras. When men and women see groups of police officers
or noisy police or military vehicles they curse loudly at them once
in a while.
Albert, a 45-year old taxi driver, claimed that there are more plain
clothed police officers and "KGB agents" than uniformed ones in the
city. According to him, they are looking for another opportunity to
beat up, arrest, and scare people, because the protest has not gone
anywhere and the situation can become more aggravated.
"I have nothing against Russians. I have been a migrant worker there,
plus I rely on them as a taxi driver. They also feel good here. They
give bribes in Russia so they serve here, everything is cheap, its
safe for their children, people are friendly, if something happens
to someone on the street, people will help and take them home. Such
things don't exist in Russia," said Albert.
Joining our conversation, Armen, a thiry-something, who drives his car
as a taxi and delivers food products, said; "I don't know what's going
to happen, but one thing is clear; the treatment of Russian soldiers
and officers is not going to be the same. If I see a soldier piss drunk
and passed out, I won't go out of my way to offer a helping hand."
A group of women near the Surb Yot Verk (St. Cardinal Sins)
were loudly cursing at nearby police lining up and their leader as
"Putin's spawns." Only one agreed to speak, nurse Lida; "They beat up
our boys and it's still not enough for them. I don't need anyone's
delayed apology. I know one thing; if the people stayed at home,
there wouldn't be any attention given to this incident. This should
be a lesson for all of Armenia."
Sako, a bartender at a karaoke club, said that the military base
soldiers are their main and highest paying customers, and he is
convinced that the Russian law enforcement bodies will try the
crime's suspects in a more just way. "It's not like there are no
maniacs in our nation. There is no Russian base in Talin or Kirovakan
(Vanadzor), doesn't mean they live well there. We are unemployed,
who is going to keep our homes. Without solving our problems, we are
going after Russians."
Ashot, a store owner, approached the Epress.am journalist after seeing
a camera in his hand.
- Aren't you tired? Stop tormenting these people.
- I'm a journalist.
- What difference does it make, a cop or a journalist? You remember
Gyumri only once a year. When you leave, the cops will leave too. They
work for the ruling authorities, so do you.
- What about you?
- I have nothing to lose. My daughter is in France, and my son
in Moscow.
- What complaint do you have against me?
- Your television stations show everything in the wrong way. Turn
off your camera, I'll tell you. They all come and talk about Gyumri's
great dignity. You have nothing to do with our dignity. If you can,
you should keep Yerevan's dignity. The boys came out for a righteous
cause and they turned them into criminals. When you leave, who is
going to take care of them?
http://www.epress.am/en/2015/01/22/tense-and-restrained-gyumri-%E2%80%9Cwe-won%E2%80%99t-be-the-same-toward-russians%E2%80%9D.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
01.22.2015 12:56 epress.am
The numbers of Police forces are still quite noticeable in Gyumri and
they regularly cause indignation among locals. The Russian military
and their families have yet to return back to their daily lives,
which has hurt the incomes of local night clubs, saunas, restaurants,
stores, motels, taxi drivers, and sex workers.
On Wednesday, the adjacent streets to the Surb Nshan (St. Mark)
Church were impassable around noon. Six-month old Seryozha's funeral
procession began here and ended 6 km away at a cemetery, where the
7th grave was added to the six Avetisyan family members' tombstones.
Police brought in from Yerevan have been distributed on various
corners of the city and were surveillancing near Armenian and Russian
state and military buildings, as well as near squares and churches,
which are potential places for people to assembly.
Locals are restrained and mainly avoid speaking to journalists armed
with video cameras. When men and women see groups of police officers
or noisy police or military vehicles they curse loudly at them once
in a while.
Albert, a 45-year old taxi driver, claimed that there are more plain
clothed police officers and "KGB agents" than uniformed ones in the
city. According to him, they are looking for another opportunity to
beat up, arrest, and scare people, because the protest has not gone
anywhere and the situation can become more aggravated.
"I have nothing against Russians. I have been a migrant worker there,
plus I rely on them as a taxi driver. They also feel good here. They
give bribes in Russia so they serve here, everything is cheap, its
safe for their children, people are friendly, if something happens
to someone on the street, people will help and take them home. Such
things don't exist in Russia," said Albert.
Joining our conversation, Armen, a thiry-something, who drives his car
as a taxi and delivers food products, said; "I don't know what's going
to happen, but one thing is clear; the treatment of Russian soldiers
and officers is not going to be the same. If I see a soldier piss drunk
and passed out, I won't go out of my way to offer a helping hand."
A group of women near the Surb Yot Verk (St. Cardinal Sins)
were loudly cursing at nearby police lining up and their leader as
"Putin's spawns." Only one agreed to speak, nurse Lida; "They beat up
our boys and it's still not enough for them. I don't need anyone's
delayed apology. I know one thing; if the people stayed at home,
there wouldn't be any attention given to this incident. This should
be a lesson for all of Armenia."
Sako, a bartender at a karaoke club, said that the military base
soldiers are their main and highest paying customers, and he is
convinced that the Russian law enforcement bodies will try the
crime's suspects in a more just way. "It's not like there are no
maniacs in our nation. There is no Russian base in Talin or Kirovakan
(Vanadzor), doesn't mean they live well there. We are unemployed,
who is going to keep our homes. Without solving our problems, we are
going after Russians."
Ashot, a store owner, approached the Epress.am journalist after seeing
a camera in his hand.
- Aren't you tired? Stop tormenting these people.
- I'm a journalist.
- What difference does it make, a cop or a journalist? You remember
Gyumri only once a year. When you leave, the cops will leave too. They
work for the ruling authorities, so do you.
- What about you?
- I have nothing to lose. My daughter is in France, and my son
in Moscow.
- What complaint do you have against me?
- Your television stations show everything in the wrong way. Turn
off your camera, I'll tell you. They all come and talk about Gyumri's
great dignity. You have nothing to do with our dignity. If you can,
you should keep Yerevan's dignity. The boys came out for a righteous
cause and they turned them into criminals. When you leave, who is
going to take care of them?
http://www.epress.am/en/2015/01/22/tense-and-restrained-gyumri-%E2%80%9Cwe-won%E2%80%99t-be-the-same-toward-russians%E2%80%9D.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress