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OCCUPY MASHTOTS PARK ACTIVISTS REGROUP. PREPARE GROUNDS FOR DEMOLITION
epress.am
04.04.2012
The brigade of activists intending to dismantle the shops in the
central Yerevan park came to the park at 11 am today to declare their
future plans. Brigade member Manvel Sargsyan said today they will go
past the barricades surrounding the shops and begin demolition work.
After this declaration, Sargsyan gave police officers the opportunity
to respond, to say whether they had changed their position or continue
to prohibit activists from beginning demolition work.
Yerevan Deputy Police Chief Karen Movsisyan informed activists that
the police has not changed its position and the brigade's assessment
of police actions as being unlawful is purely an opinion. The deputy
police chief insisted that police will continue to protect private
property, and if anyone goes past the barricades it will be considered
an illegal act.
After the negotiations between the two camps, a few members of the
10-person strong brigade - Armen Movsisyan, Andreas Ghukasyan and
Armen Hovhannisyan - attempted to slip past the brigades only to be
pushed out by police.
Yerevan Deputy Police Chief Robert Melkonyan, in turn, urged officers
not to apply force on members of the demolition brigade.
However, another attempt by an activist, Saro Saroyan, to go past
the brigades again received the same response by police. Police also
applied force to brigade member Tigran Khzmalyan, pushing him to the
ground. Officers then urged him to get up from off the ground, saying
police officers would never lay a finger on someone for no reason. In
response, Khzmalyan reminded police of its actions on Mar. 1, 2008,
saying, "I've seen Mar. 1; I've seen Oct. 27 [1999] - leave me alone."
Following his remarks, activists chanted, "You're staging Mar. 1
for boutiques!"
The brigade then held a meeting at which time Manvel Sargsyan urged
activists not to exhaust their strength and not to pay attention to
the police.
According to Sargsyan, today they won't carry out any demolition work
but will create conditions for demolition, by measuring and marking
the area.
epress.am
04.04.2012
The brigade of activists intending to dismantle the shops in the
central Yerevan park came to the park at 11 am today to declare their
future plans. Brigade member Manvel Sargsyan said today they will go
past the barricades surrounding the shops and begin demolition work.
After this declaration, Sargsyan gave police officers the opportunity
to respond, to say whether they had changed their position or continue
to prohibit activists from beginning demolition work.
Yerevan Deputy Police Chief Karen Movsisyan informed activists that
the police has not changed its position and the brigade's assessment
of police actions as being unlawful is purely an opinion. The deputy
police chief insisted that police will continue to protect private
property, and if anyone goes past the barricades it will be considered
an illegal act.
After the negotiations between the two camps, a few members of the
10-person strong brigade - Armen Movsisyan, Andreas Ghukasyan and
Armen Hovhannisyan - attempted to slip past the brigades only to be
pushed out by police.
Yerevan Deputy Police Chief Robert Melkonyan, in turn, urged officers
not to apply force on members of the demolition brigade.
However, another attempt by an activist, Saro Saroyan, to go past
the brigades again received the same response by police. Police also
applied force to brigade member Tigran Khzmalyan, pushing him to the
ground. Officers then urged him to get up from off the ground, saying
police officers would never lay a finger on someone for no reason. In
response, Khzmalyan reminded police of its actions on Mar. 1, 2008,
saying, "I've seen Mar. 1; I've seen Oct. 27 [1999] - leave me alone."
Following his remarks, activists chanted, "You're staging Mar. 1
for boutiques!"
The brigade then held a meeting at which time Manvel Sargsyan urged
activists not to exhaust their strength and not to pay attention to
the police.
According to Sargsyan, today they won't carry out any demolition work
but will create conditions for demolition, by measuring and marking
the area.