Armenian web site says 30 demonstrators arrested

A1+ web site
10 Apr 04

The leaders of the united opposition – [ex-Prime Minister] Aram
Sarkisyan, [Justice bloc leader] Stepan Demirchyan, [National Unity
Party chairman] Artashes Gegamyan, MPs Smbat Ayvazyan, Albert Bazeyan
and Arshak Sadoyan and representatives of the political council spent
the night with participants in a sit-in on Freedom Square [central
Yerevan].

According to various calculations, between 500 to 1,500 people were on
the square. Although the police said that 10 people were detained
after the rally yesterday [9 April], we have information that 30
people were taken to police stations. As soon as a participant in the
sit-in moves away from the crowd, he immediately finds himself first
in an unknown vehicle and then at a police station.

The head of the Armenian police press service said yesterday that two
Makarov pistols had been seized from protesters. According to
representatives of the opposition, the two people holding the pistols
are not their supporters, and if someone went to the meeting with MPs
with the pistols, let they be punished in accordance with law.

Incidentally, we learnt today that refuse collection vehicles had been
instructed not to remove rubbish from the square.