“When we heard that the police is going to vacate Baghramyan Avenue at 12:30p.m., I and my colleagues – Elinar Vardanyan and Vahe Enfiajian, went there”, said the Head of “Prosperous Armenia” political party, also NA MP Naira Zohrabyan, in the interview with Aravot.am, referring to the incident happened in Baghramyan Avenue yesterday. She presented what she saw by the status of an eyewitness of the events. “The police did not use special measures. They were simply embracing the protesters and carrying them to the cars. When they were taken to the cars, I was talking to Deputy Police Chief Hunan Poghosyan, who assured that no violence will be used against the protesters and at least in three hours they will be set free. As far as I know, they were set free three hours later.”
Ms. Zohrabyan already has her own observations about the event happened in Baghramyan Avenue in the meantime. She notices that it was obvious that after Serzh Sargsyan’s statement, the movement formed against the electricity price hike split up, and the section that was in Baghramyan Avenue lacked a common agenda since then. “You should block the street not only automatically, but you should do it by adding a plot into it. When the protesters were constantly saying that this is a social movement and you should not politicize it, to be honest, I did not understand this statement, because all kinds of social problems have only one solution: they are in the political dimension. I do not recognize any other solution in any dimension, says Ms. Zohrabyan and regrets that the movement split up, “I’m sorry that the movement of the youth formed against the outrageous social injustice, this honest and sincere rebellion split up, and the two sides began throwing accusations against each other, including up to the degree that one could simply not understand where and how many groups there are and what interests and goals each group pursues, however, as a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, I am also proud that we have such youth, who are ready to fight for their rights.”
Naira Zohrabyan has repeatedly mentioned and repeats one more time that the lawmakers were in Baghramyan Avenue only to avoid collisions. “All the lawmakers who were present there did not try to interfere in the agenda of the youth and were seeking one objective – to exclude collisions. We, too, the “Prosperous Armenia” Party representatives, were in Baghramyan Avenue for one purpose – to avoid collisions,” she says.
Naira Zohrabyan believes that after Serzh Sargsyan’s statement, the movement should be able to be self-organized and reorganized. “To should be able to be reorganized and be able to elaborate a joint agenda with clear demands. But the fact that they were leading the movement to its end, it was obvious. The police tactics of rejecting to use force was aimed at this, they calculated very well that there is no unity, no common agenda, strange statements were voiced saying that the movement should not be politicized and the solutions should not be sought in the political dimension. Here, I should agree with Ashot Bleyan’s famous statement that if the demanding street is not politicized, then it is a street gang. All of this led to the fact that the movement directly faded away, and the police without using violent force were able to open up Baghramyan Avenue,” says Ms. Zohrabyan.
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She believes that time will tell whether the young people who moved to Liberty Square will be able to shape a common agenda, will be able to unite after voicing serious accusations to each other, to be reorganized and clearly formulate their demands. She, however, does not have the answer to this question. “Currently, I see a chaotic situation. I see no other situation other than this, – says Ms. Zohrabyan and adds, – “I would like to see the youth who driven by true noble motive came out to fight against the infamous robbery and plunder would be able to form a clear agenda, would be able to realize that the non-politicizing the social issues is not a correct and competent statement and would try not to seek for provocateurs, traitors and ears of this or that force”.
The Head of PAP party believes that at this point it is important to have a dialogue between the youth appeared in different camps. “Some present quite serious charges against each other. The dialogue should take place among them, they should be able to define their next steps, the future strategy, and then think about the next steps,” said Ms. Zohrabyan. To our question whether it was realistic that this movement could result in cancellation of the decision on the electricity price hike, the NA MP replies, “I have always considered myself a pragmatic politician. I do not think it realistic.” Ms. Zohrabyan, nevertheless, states that the movement has already given a positive result. “This is the second time, do you remember the fight against the increase in transport fares. The whole world saw that there is youth in Armenia fighting for their rights. I was in Strasbourg in those days, and our European delegations were following how the Armenian youth was fighting for their rights. Only the fact that a healthy civil society is formed I already consider it one of the key results of this movement,” she says.
Hripsime HOVHANNISYAN
