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LIVE BLOG: POLICE PREVENT ACTIVISTS FROM APPROACHING KIOSKS AS CONTROVERSIAL CONSTRUCTION RESUMES IN PARK
epress.am
02.17.2012
Police officers today came in droves to the park off Mashtots
St. between Aram and Buzand streets adjacent to the maternity
hospital where environmentalists for nearly a week non-stop have been
protesting the construction of commercial kiosks in one of the city's
few remaining green spaces. For one week, the activists practicing
civil disobedience weren't allowing workers to continue building the
kiosks. Today, however, police didn't allow protestors near the kiosks.
As reported by the Epress.am correspondent on site, police have
formed a human chain around the kiosks while construction workers
tend to their work. This roused the ire of not only activists, but
also opposition MP Zaruhi Postanjyan who is on the scene and also
opposes the kiosk construction.
Also on site are Sardarapat movement members Jirair Sefilian and
Garegin Zukaszyan, and Green Party of Armenia leader Armenak Dovlatyan,
with more supporters arriving.
11:51 am: While police officers are keeping an eye on the kiosks,
activists have stood in front of the concrete-mixing transport truck,
blocking it from moving forward. The driver stepped out of the truck,
threatening the activists: "Now I'll hit you over the head with this
metal rod."
1:04 pm: Joining the activists is Kajaran village mayor Rafik Atayan,
who with the same group of activists since last year has been opposing
mine exploitation near his village.
1:17 pm: Activists and supporters insist that despite the cold,
they're not preparing to leave the park at all today.
1:18 pm: Protestors, joined by Heritage Party MP Stepan (Styopa)
Safaryan, are waiting for Yerevan Police Chief Nerses Nazaryan to
bring the papers stating the construction is legal.
1:19 pm: Sardarapat movement member, filmmaker Tigran Khzmalyan told
Epress.am if a "wave of revolution" begins in Armenia, then it'll
begin right here, from Mashtots park. According to him, though the
number of protesting youth is not great, they are strong and it's
this strength that will put an end to the authorities' rule.
From: A. Papazian
epress.am
02.17.2012
Police officers today came in droves to the park off Mashtots
St. between Aram and Buzand streets adjacent to the maternity
hospital where environmentalists for nearly a week non-stop have been
protesting the construction of commercial kiosks in one of the city's
few remaining green spaces. For one week, the activists practicing
civil disobedience weren't allowing workers to continue building the
kiosks. Today, however, police didn't allow protestors near the kiosks.
As reported by the Epress.am correspondent on site, police have
formed a human chain around the kiosks while construction workers
tend to their work. This roused the ire of not only activists, but
also opposition MP Zaruhi Postanjyan who is on the scene and also
opposes the kiosk construction.
Also on site are Sardarapat movement members Jirair Sefilian and
Garegin Zukaszyan, and Green Party of Armenia leader Armenak Dovlatyan,
with more supporters arriving.
11:51 am: While police officers are keeping an eye on the kiosks,
activists have stood in front of the concrete-mixing transport truck,
blocking it from moving forward. The driver stepped out of the truck,
threatening the activists: "Now I'll hit you over the head with this
metal rod."
1:04 pm: Joining the activists is Kajaran village mayor Rafik Atayan,
who with the same group of activists since last year has been opposing
mine exploitation near his village.
1:17 pm: Activists and supporters insist that despite the cold,
they're not preparing to leave the park at all today.
1:18 pm: Protestors, joined by Heritage Party MP Stepan (Styopa)
Safaryan, are waiting for Yerevan Police Chief Nerses Nazaryan to
bring the papers stating the construction is legal.
1:19 pm: Sardarapat movement member, filmmaker Tigran Khzmalyan told
Epress.am if a "wave of revolution" begins in Armenia, then it'll
begin right here, from Mashtots park. According to him, though the
number of protesting youth is not great, they are strong and it's
this strength that will put an end to the authorities' rule.
From: A. Papazian