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Eight Die As Armenian Police Break Up Presidential Protest

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  • Eight Die As Armenian Police Break Up Presidential Protest

    EIGHT DIE AS ARMENIAN POLICE BREAK UP PRESIDENTIAL PROTEST

    InTheNews.co.uk
    March 2 2008
    UK

    Eight people have died in clashes in Armenia's capital city, Yerevan,
    after police broke up a 10-day protest by demonstrators who claim
    the country's presidential election was rigged.

    Thousands of opposition supporters have been demonstrating on a daily
    basis in the capital's Freedom Square since prime minister Serzh
    Sarkisian was elected to replace Robert Kockarian as president on
    February 19th.

    On Saturday, police moved into the square to disperse the opposition
    camp, where protestors have been calling for the opposition politician
    Levn Ter-Petrosian to be declared president.

    The move escalated into fierce clashes between the police and
    demonstrators with tear gas and shots being fired into the air,
    while cars were set alight and shop windows smashed, as the police
    tried to break up the crowd.

    A police spokesman said that eight people had been killed and 33
    officers had been injured.

    As a result, the outgoing president Mr Kockarian declared a state of
    emergency late on Saturday night, banning all protests and subjecting
    the news media to censorship.

    The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) today
    sent an envoy to Yerevan to meet the Armenian government.

    Supporters of Mr Ter-Petrosian claimed that they would continue to
    protest against the election result and will not be put off by this
    weekend's violence.

    "I am deeply convinced that even if Sarkisian stays on, he won't be a
    legitimate president. I have no doubt the people won't tolerate this,"
    one supporter told reporters.
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