During the pre-parliamentary rally, participants, war veterans, people who were the active participants in the demonstrations of Raffi Hovannisian were seated on the benches of Liberty Square. We got interested as to just a few months ago Raffi Hovhannisyan was sitting on this bench making a hunger-strike, and you were by his side to support him. What has changed since then? The rally participant Meruzhan Hanetsyan answered,- “A lot of things has changed. Once again we felt that, in classical sense, we do not have a leader yet. If a leader can not provide a raincoat for himself not to get wet at nights, he, I think, is unable to lead 500 thousand, 1 million people.” To our observation as to what Raffi Hovannisyan could do at the time, when the police was preventing them and saying that it is illegal, you should have permission by the City Hall, what he was supposed to do, to go for clashes that he has not gone, Meruzhan Hanetsyan answered,- “By the law? People were working on a construction next to Raffi Hovannisyan, all the day buzzing, was it by the law? They were welding, he was sitting here with Kaj Nazar’s (translator’s note – Nazar the Brave) flag raised behind him written Parev Hayastan on it.” To our questions that you were beside him before, and now you compare Raffi Hovannisyan with Kaj Nazar, the participant of the rally replied,- “I do not know what the flag Barev Hayastan meant, and what it gave us. We went praying with Zoravar, what it gave us. We again are facing the dilemma today. We are here to see what these people are saying. Let’s try. Trying does not bring trouble with it. In addition, the struggle must be uninterrupted. These freedom fighters that are standing, all of them are in struggle since 1988.”
Hripsimeh JEBEJYAN
