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YEREVAN STUDENTS CONTINUE PROTESTS
Elen Chilingaryan
http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24561550.html
26.04.2012
Armenia - Students of Yerevan State Linguistic University demonstrate
outside the Prime Minister's Office in Yerevan, 26 Apr 2012.
About a hundred students of a state-run university in Yerevan boycotted
classes on Thursday in continuing protests against the controversial
dismissal of their rector Suren Zolian.
The protesting students rallied outside Yerevan State Linguistic
University and then marched to the main government building. They
said they boycott will continue until Zolian is reinstated.
Zolian, who has run the university since 1997, was sacked last week
in a bitter dispute with Education Minister Armen Ashotian. He is
refusing to comply with Ashotian's decision and planning to challenge
it in court.
The decision sparked last week angry protests by hundreds of students.
Some of them opted for the boycott after one of Ashotian's deputies
introduced a new acting rector to the university staff on Wednesday.
"We decided yesterday to stage a boycott because our rights were
violated," one female student told RFE/RL's Armenian service
(Azatutyun.am).
Some university professors urged the protesters to end the defiant
action. "Go to classes and then do what you want," one of them said.
Zolian, who continues to occupy his office and consider himself rector,
emerged from the university building to make a similar appeal to the
protesting students. But they ignored the call.
"That's his obligation as rector," one of the boycott organizers said.
"We respect the request but we have a job to do among students."
Gayane Gasparian, the acting rector appointed by Ashotian, downplayed
the extraordinary action, saying that only a small minority of the
students are involved in it. "I don't consider that a boycott," she
told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). "Classes are going on
as usual."
Hasmik Apian, chairwoman of the university's student council, also
disapproved of the boycott. "The student council did not take part in
the protest because rallies and demonstrations don't solve issues,"
she said. "There are more civilized options."
Elen Chilingaryan
http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24561550.html
26.04.2012
Armenia - Students of Yerevan State Linguistic University demonstrate
outside the Prime Minister's Office in Yerevan, 26 Apr 2012.
About a hundred students of a state-run university in Yerevan boycotted
classes on Thursday in continuing protests against the controversial
dismissal of their rector Suren Zolian.
The protesting students rallied outside Yerevan State Linguistic
University and then marched to the main government building. They
said they boycott will continue until Zolian is reinstated.
Zolian, who has run the university since 1997, was sacked last week
in a bitter dispute with Education Minister Armen Ashotian. He is
refusing to comply with Ashotian's decision and planning to challenge
it in court.
The decision sparked last week angry protests by hundreds of students.
Some of them opted for the boycott after one of Ashotian's deputies
introduced a new acting rector to the university staff on Wednesday.
"We decided yesterday to stage a boycott because our rights were
violated," one female student told RFE/RL's Armenian service
(Azatutyun.am).
Some university professors urged the protesters to end the defiant
action. "Go to classes and then do what you want," one of them said.
Zolian, who continues to occupy his office and consider himself rector,
emerged from the university building to make a similar appeal to the
protesting students. But they ignored the call.
"That's his obligation as rector," one of the boycott organizers said.
"We respect the request but we have a job to do among students."
Gayane Gasparian, the acting rector appointed by Ashotian, downplayed
the extraordinary action, saying that only a small minority of the
students are involved in it. "I don't consider that a boycott," she
told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). "Classes are going on
as usual."
Hasmik Apian, chairwoman of the university's student council, also
disapproved of the boycott. "The student council did not take part in
the protest because rallies and demonstrations don't solve issues,"
she said. "There are more civilized options."