ARMENIAN POLICE MADE A STATEMENT CONDEMNING THE INITIATORS OF THE CLASHES NEAR THE BUILDING OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY SERVICE

Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
May 10 2007

Yerevan, May 10. /Mediamax/. The Armenian Police made a statement today
condemning the actions of the organizers and the participants of the
rally of oppositional forces, which in the evening of May 9 lead to
clashes and skirmishes near the building of the National Security
Service (NSS).

Mediamax reports that the statement, spread today by the Armenian
Police, reads that on May 9, the rally of the "Republic", "New Times"
parties and the "Impeachment" bloc, as a result of urges of its
organizers, developed into an illegal procession, "the participants of
which moved along the Mashtots and Sayat-Nova avenues and Nalbandian
street, disturbed the public order, hindered the constitutional right
of citizens for free movement".

The statement of the Armenian Police reads that in Nalbandian street
one of the leaders of "Impeachment" bloc, Nikol Pashinian, together
with a group of people, broke through the circle of policemen and
moved in the direction of the main entrance to the NSS building.

"This lead to clashes and skirmishes, which resulted in the three
victim policemen, who received injuries and were hospitalized",
the statement reads.

The Armenian Police informed that "based on the necessity to prevent
the uncontrolled development of events, the law-enforcement bodies
took up the necessary measures within the framework of the law to
reestablish public order".

It is noted in the statement of the Police that the disturbances were
initiated on May 9, when "our people was celebrating the V-Day and
the 15th anniversary of Shushi liberation, in connection with which
there were holiday events taking place in the city and a number of
streets were blocked".

"In these conditions, the provocation, which aimed at paralyzing the
normal activity of the center of the capital, could lead to serious and
unpredictable consequences, if there was not the operative interference
of the Police", the statement reads.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress