In 1990, after the revolution had already been won, the Union for National Self-Determination splashed red paint on Armenian-Russian friendship and other types of statues. When the Grand Assembly was discussing that incident, Paruyr Hayrikyan said that while he does not welcome such activities, he can understand the motivation behind people’s actions. The head of the UNSD asked whether the members of the Pan-Armenian National Movement broke the head off of Hrant Voskanyan’s statue, and who was responsible for that. The head of the Grand Assembly Levon Ter-Petrossian said in response that everything will be done in accordance with the law from then on.
The transitional word here is “from now on,” which isolates actions that were taken for the nation, for the homeland, for democracy, and other higher ideals, and operations that were likely carried out due to those motivators. For example, what will they do to the soldiers who left their military base to participate in the protests now? They will be called to the military court and tried for desertion, I think. And it would be right to do so. But that will be “from now on.” When they did the same thing a few months ago, no one was punished. Why? Because they deserted “for the nation.” There is no realization that desertion without punishment is dangerous for a state in war, and finally for the current authorities. If there is an unpunishable precedent, I don’t doubt it, which soldiers in the future will use for their actions.
And they pretty much closed the streets, too. I say “pretty much” because I understand how the soldiers violated the law, but I do not understand how closing the streets is breaking the law. But if closing the streets was once acceptable for political and social fights, then it must be acceptable now too. There need to be unique standards, not double standards, regardless of the content of people’s demands. However, I personally do not find it acceptable to close national roads while demanding that a dying person’s deterrence method be changed. But if it was allowed a few months ago, then it must be allowed now. No one gives citizens licenses to hold protests. Either “it’s their door, and they’ll break it” or state department doors are not allowed to be broken at all.
Of course, the authorities that were in power until the April revolution of last year were illegitimate, and now they are. But citizens have the right to protest even against legitimate authorities. Let law enforcement decide which methods of protest are legal, and which aren’t. By the way, the yellow jackets in France aren’t fighting against Macron’s legitimacy.
Aram Abrahamyan
