ArmenPress
April 6 2004

YEREVAN POLICE CHIEF DENIES CHARGES OF INACTIVITY

YEREVAN, APRIL 6, ARMENPRESS: A senior police officer denied today
opposition’s accusations that the police did not prevent attacks of a
group of sturdily-built young men, most of them with shaven heads, on
journalists smashing their cameras and knocking them off their feet
at a Monday rally in central Yerevan, organized by Artashes
Geghamian’s National Unity.
Chief of Yerevan police department, Nerses Nazarian, told a group
of journalists that “as usual, the police took all measures to
maintain order.”
Nazarian argued that the violence occurred 15 minutes before the
rally started, following Geghamian’s requests that the demonstrators
should gather near Nairi cinema house, as a hillside near Matenadaran
depository of old manuscripts, the planned venue of the protest
action, was occupied by police. Nazarian said the movement of
participants raised the indignation of nearby houses’ residents and
owners of shops, who “were dragged into the rally against their
will,” disrupting also the traffic.
He also said police officers were instructed to interfere only in
case of real threats to exclude offensive language and curse directed
at them. The police chief said the fistfight was prompted by
disagreements among participants of the rally. Nazarian said police
will investigate into the reported instances of violence and admitted
also that scores of people, participating in opposition’s rallies,
whom he described as “aggressive”, were summoned to police to be
explained that their demeanor poses threat to public order.
Nazarian said all those participants of future rallies who will
violate public law will be detained and punished in line with law.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress