Demonstrations have started since 11:00 AM (local time) in different cities of the Republic of Armenia. People were getting ready for car march in the square in Ararat when an incident happened. A number of people seemed to impede the citizens from gathering in the square. One of the citizens announced that it has been 20 days that he is doing this business, while the others insisted that he had come from Aygevan and was disturbing the peaceful state of the city.
Then, it could easily be noticed in the “Azatutyun” live stream that this group passed among the citizens and talked to them one by one. They mentioned that they have got global issues, and the most humane MP is Arayik Grigoryan.
One of the residents of Ararat city said, irritated, that he had been receiving 14.000 AMD pension, and now he does not get even that. If things go on like this, everyone will leave the country.
Simultaneously, a number of young people started a demonstration in a city of Etchmiadzin. Many cars joined them with sirens.
Nikol Pashinyan was in Nor Nork 7 district of Yerevan with a number of protesters. He could not start the march. The Police had changed its decision. Valeriy Osipyan, Deputy Chief of Yerevan Police, announced that the march is illegal, and they will not allow to start it. Nikol Pashinyan said to him: “The law allows for every citizen to march without any prior warning. The law allows for organizing urgent marches without any prior warning.” While Mr. Osipyan announced that it would be right that they stop the march and benefit from the rights that the competent bodies had granted them.
Nikol Pashinyan urged to block the streets and act so that the Police is not able to counteract them. At the moment, there are some people that have been detained from Nor Nork.
To the question why the Police changed its decision, Nikol Pashinyan replied that they understood that the revolution is happening, and there is no going back. Osipyan made remarks that it is possible that even Nikol Pashinyan can be detained. Nikol Pashinyan reacted: “If I am detained or arrested, I urge all the residents of Yerevan and all the citizens of the Republic of Armenia to go out and block all roads, blockade all departments of state government and police, organize massive demonstrations and come to free me.”
Mr. Osipyan informed that the demonstrators had knocked down a policeman to the ground. Nikol Pashinyan said that this was not done by their followers, this was done by the people specially sent by the Republican Party.
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
