A group of former and current students from Shirak State University in Gyumri – the second largest city of Armenia, as well as some students from Yerevan State University together with Gagik Hambaryan and Hovhannes Khorikyan, who have been expelled from the university, demand the resignation of Rector, head of the Shirak regional branch of the Republican Party of Armenia Sahak Minasyan. For a moment, a great turmoil started in front of the university, almost uncontrollable. Some university professors went downstairs and started criticizing former lecturers Hovhannes Khorikyan and Gagik Hambaryan, who, according to them, make groundless accusations against the rector.
Personal insults were expressed: they started to severely criticize one another. The rector met with the demonstrators and said that the movement should not be a means for personal revenge. Gagik Hambaryan was chanting “Sahak bribe-taker”, and demonstrators were demanding his immediate resignation. The demonstrators announced that they would wait until 2 PM Armenian time for the response to the resignation. Levon Barseghyan, President of the Asparez Club Board, joined the demonstrators, who said that each of us should fight to liberate our structures from concentration camps.
The rector did not resign, so the protesters started a sit-down strike.
Nune AREVSHATYAN
