POLICE USES TRUNCHEONS AND TEAR-GAS AGAINST PARTICIPANTS OF PEACEFUL MARCH ORGANIZED BY OPPOSING FORCES

Noyan Tapan
May 10 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 10, NOYAN TAPAN. Clashes took place among the police and
participants of the march organized after the mass meeting organized
on May 9 by the Impeachment alliance, Nor Zhamanakner (New Times)
and Hanrapetutiun (Republic) parties.

The procession directed towards the building of the National Security
Service (NSS) to express its protest against the political pressures
and violences implemented in the country. Former RA Foreign Minister
A. Arzumanian as well as heads of the Armenian Volunteers’ Union
Zhirayr Sefilian and Vardan Malkhasian are in the isolation cell at
present. But, the peaceful march was turned at the NSS building into
a clash among the people and policemen: truncheons and tear-gas were
used against the march participants.

As Noyan Tapan was informed by the mass meeting participants, a
short-term stop at the NSS building was envisaged by the organizers
of the privileged march for few people give NSS representatives
the written protest against the violations being implemented in the
country. But policemen started repulsing the people, attempting to push
the march participants towards the opposite pavement. But participants
of the march of many thousands did not obey those actions and did not
move aside. Then the policemen attacked on the march participants. Few
people were injured in the consequence of the clash.

After the incident, the march participants directed towards the
Azatutiun (Liberty) square where a short-term mass meeting took place
during which representative of the Impeachment alliance Nikol Pashinian
stated that "tear-gas, a special detachment were used against the march
participants but the people did not retreat." He also stated that there
were instigators among the march participants who were shouting during
that period of time: "the leaders ran away." The leaders did not run
away but continued leading the peaceful march," N. Pashinian stated.

Arrests were also carried out during the clash. But the arrested
ones were set free as a result of negotiations taken place among Aram
Sargsian, Aram Karapetian and Nikol Pashinian, the heads of the three
political forces initiated the mass meeting and Chief of the Yerevan
City Police Department Nerses Nazarian.