The energy in Baghramyan Avenue has been changed. There is a “drive”, but not as before. On the evening of June 28, when “No to Plunder” initiative announced that the peaceful protest action is moving to Freedom Square and it abandoned Baghramyan Avenue, shortly after, the sentiment in the Avenue was changed, at first, there was an uncertainty, afterwards accusations addressed to “No to plunder” and then aggressive talks and slander in some places. Some people have forgotten why they have gathered in the Avenue. The demand to cancel the decision on the electricity prices hike was pushed to the 2nd plan. People gathered in groups have recalled all kinds of problems and illegalities in the country and were angrily discussing.
Opinions were voiced that this campaign should grow into a fight to clean the state budget from the looters. These talks were interfered by the youth urging not to politicize. On June 28, late in the evening, the patriotic spirit seemed to be a sort of vanished. The beautiful youth who were singing the anthem of the Republic of Armenia were gone, who knew all the folk songs and dances by heart, and they are doing them in a very organized and harmonious way. The beautiful girls and boys voluntarily coming to the Avenue were gone, who were playing a guitar and organizing refreshments. On June 28, in the midnight, Armenia’s national anthem did not sound, instead, in the midnight, some youth had turned on a rabis music.
In the morning of June 29, like before, people had not brought their children here for a walk. Perhaps, the reason was the danger that was expected every minute that the police will dispel the peaceful protest. It should be noted that like before, in the morning, the youth was cleaning their territories in the Avenue from their own littering. In the evening, Baghramyan Avenue was crowded again, and the demand was the same: to cancel the decision on electricity price hike.
To keep the spirit of protesters, some young people were making patriotic calls over the barricades built of rubbish bins, were citing Nzhdeh and Charents, recalled the Diaspora, saying, “There are no Armenians without the Diaspora.” From the very first day, a young protester by the name Lina Matevosyan, in the interview with “Aravot” said that she is suspending her fight. “The atmosphere is changed, people are changed, I do not see those ever-present bright and intelligent guys, now, there are a lot of people and they do not even know what we are fighting for. Unfortunately, the fight has been divided into 2 fronts, I do not want to be a part of splitting, I do not want to hear people called traitors, I refuse this type of fighting.” Greta Nikoghosyan who is here from the very first day of the fight and is spending the overnight for about a week, in the conversation with us told that she would continue fighting in the Baghramyan Avenue. “I have stayed and will stay in Baghramyan Avenue as I do not consider the President’s helpless and sad lies a victory.”
Nelly BABAYAN,
“Aravot” daily
