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ANOTHER FAILED 'REVOLUTION' IN ARMENIA
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Nov 14 2013
14 November 2013 - 10:20am
By David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza
On November 5, Shant Arutyunyan, leader of the Tsekhakron Party of
nationalists, and a group of his supporters marked Guy Fawkes Day,
whose mask is considered the symbol of protests in Europe and the US,
by gathering in Yerevan. Demonstrators, waving long poles, marched
towards the presidential residence on the Bagramyan Avenue.
During the march at the Opera and Ballet Theater, Aturyunyan announced
a revolution. His revolution continued for a few minutes and was
suppressed by police officers, who outnumbered his supporters. The
protesters' path towards the bright future was blocked by police
officers with riot shields, batons, masks and bulletproof vests. In
response, followers of the Gunpowder Plot made blasts of Molotov
cocktails or some other cocktails. The police did not fear the
explosions and suppressed all revolutionary slogans with batons. Then,
the rebels lay down on the road and refused to disperse. 8 passers-by
and officers were injured by the explosions, poles and batons. As a
result, the police had to carry the 'revolutionaries' to detention
centers. A total of 38 people were brought to police stations, 20
of whom, including Shant Arutyunyan himself, were detained. 14 were
charged with violence against the law enforcers, punishable with 5-10
years in prison. They were put under arrest. The police checked their
apartments and await chemical tests.
This could have been the end of the story, if some MPs, public
officials, authoritative and young people did not express support
for Arutyunyan. On the next day after Arutyunyan's detention, MP
Nikol Pashinyan said that the man was beaten and humiliated by Police
Chief Vladimir Gasparyan and his deputy Inan Pogosyan. The MP said it
after visiting Arutyunyan in his cell. The police denied the report,
although they would not allow Pashinyan to visit the Nubarashen penal
center again.
Ashot Manucharyan, Chief Advisor for National Security of the first
Armenian president and ex-Interior Minister, characterized actions of
the demonstrators as "an attempt to leave the swamp the authorities are
drowning the country in." The politicians insists that Arutyunyan's
followers, mainly young people, were trying to find a solution to
the situation because they were tired of 'old' politicians unable
to change anything. "Arutyunyan is a man with fantastic ideas and
honesty. Considering his 'revolution' in the context of a political
order would be wrong," said Manucharyan.
This was followed by appearance of an initiative group called 'Freedom
to Shantu Arutyunyan and other arrested' on Facebook. The group
organized protests and massive marches along the streets of Yerevan.
The protesters demanded the release of Arutyunyan and his supporters
and the prosecution of police officers. The demands quickly transformed
into demands for the resignation of President Serzh Sargsyan and
"freedom and independence of Armenia." At the end of the demonstration,
residents were asked about their attitude towards joining the Customs
Union. Organizers of the opinion polls promised to announce the
results at the Presidential Palace.
Analyzing the events, it appears that searching for logic in the
actions of Arutyunyan and his supporters would be an unrewarding idea.
But this logic can be seen in the actions of supporters and opponents
of the Tsekhakron leader. The chain (starting from demonstrations
of videos of the 'revolution', made by a police camera in the news
block of the First Public TV Channel, and ending with unintelligible
tolerance of the police towards people calling for a coup) speaks
of direct interest of the government in the tragic comedy. With
the transformation of the notion 'oppositionist' into a synonym of
'henchman of the government', the authorities debate any expression
of love for freedom and civil activeness.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/politics/47565.html
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Nov 14 2013
14 November 2013 - 10:20am
By David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza
On November 5, Shant Arutyunyan, leader of the Tsekhakron Party of
nationalists, and a group of his supporters marked Guy Fawkes Day,
whose mask is considered the symbol of protests in Europe and the US,
by gathering in Yerevan. Demonstrators, waving long poles, marched
towards the presidential residence on the Bagramyan Avenue.
During the march at the Opera and Ballet Theater, Aturyunyan announced
a revolution. His revolution continued for a few minutes and was
suppressed by police officers, who outnumbered his supporters. The
protesters' path towards the bright future was blocked by police
officers with riot shields, batons, masks and bulletproof vests. In
response, followers of the Gunpowder Plot made blasts of Molotov
cocktails or some other cocktails. The police did not fear the
explosions and suppressed all revolutionary slogans with batons. Then,
the rebels lay down on the road and refused to disperse. 8 passers-by
and officers were injured by the explosions, poles and batons. As a
result, the police had to carry the 'revolutionaries' to detention
centers. A total of 38 people were brought to police stations, 20
of whom, including Shant Arutyunyan himself, were detained. 14 were
charged with violence against the law enforcers, punishable with 5-10
years in prison. They were put under arrest. The police checked their
apartments and await chemical tests.
This could have been the end of the story, if some MPs, public
officials, authoritative and young people did not express support
for Arutyunyan. On the next day after Arutyunyan's detention, MP
Nikol Pashinyan said that the man was beaten and humiliated by Police
Chief Vladimir Gasparyan and his deputy Inan Pogosyan. The MP said it
after visiting Arutyunyan in his cell. The police denied the report,
although they would not allow Pashinyan to visit the Nubarashen penal
center again.
Ashot Manucharyan, Chief Advisor for National Security of the first
Armenian president and ex-Interior Minister, characterized actions of
the demonstrators as "an attempt to leave the swamp the authorities are
drowning the country in." The politicians insists that Arutyunyan's
followers, mainly young people, were trying to find a solution to
the situation because they were tired of 'old' politicians unable
to change anything. "Arutyunyan is a man with fantastic ideas and
honesty. Considering his 'revolution' in the context of a political
order would be wrong," said Manucharyan.
This was followed by appearance of an initiative group called 'Freedom
to Shantu Arutyunyan and other arrested' on Facebook. The group
organized protests and massive marches along the streets of Yerevan.
The protesters demanded the release of Arutyunyan and his supporters
and the prosecution of police officers. The demands quickly transformed
into demands for the resignation of President Serzh Sargsyan and
"freedom and independence of Armenia." At the end of the demonstration,
residents were asked about their attitude towards joining the Customs
Union. Organizers of the opinion polls promised to announce the
results at the Presidential Palace.
Analyzing the events, it appears that searching for logic in the
actions of Arutyunyan and his supporters would be an unrewarding idea.
But this logic can be seen in the actions of supporters and opponents
of the Tsekhakron leader. The chain (starting from demonstrations
of videos of the 'revolution', made by a police camera in the news
block of the First Public TV Channel, and ending with unintelligible
tolerance of the police towards people calling for a coup) speaks
of direct interest of the government in the tragic comedy. With
the transformation of the notion 'oppositionist' into a synonym of
'henchman of the government', the authorities debate any expression
of love for freedom and civil activeness.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/politics/47565.html