GATHERING OF OPPOSITION MASS STARTED IN NORTHERN AVENUE FINISHES IN REPUBLICAN SQUARE WITH INTERFERANCE OF POLICEMEN

Noyan Tapan
March 24, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 24, NOYAN TAPAN. Approximately 40 supporters of Levon
Ter-Petrosian, the first President of the Republic of Armenia and
the former candidate running for presidency, gathered on the Northern
avenue of Yerevan at 17:00 on March 22. Irrespective of the fact that
it was declared beforehand that a mourning march was to take place
towards the Embassy of France, those gathered claimed that they have
just come to stand on the avenue. Just from the very beginning the
representatives of the police called on them to break up and "not to
turn it into a rally." In response to the call, those gathered made
assertions that they do not intend to make a rally at all, that they
are just walking.

The chain made by policemen armed with shields and rubber cudgels
gradually approached the people and the latters, the number of whom
already made almost 100, had to direct their steps towards somewhere
a little downwards and stopped. At 18:15 the police gave 10 minutes
for those gathered to break up, in response to which the people not
only did not go away, but also started to sing. Ten minutes later the
policemen walked towards the people, however, at that very moment
a group of foreign journalists taking photographs appeared and the
policemen withdrew.

The people continued to quietly walk towards the Republican square,
where they had hardly entered when the police declared that their
"march" is not authorized and ordered those with cudgels "to clean" the
place. Hearing the order, the people dispersed in different directions
in separate groups. The policemen continued to pursue them for another
50 meters and stopped. All that time logomarchy was proceeding between
the people and law enforcement bodies, in particular, the opposition
mass called those with cudgels "Turks" and cursed in their address.

A young man among those gathered, whose name is Mher, said in the
interview with a Noyan Tapan correspondent that he himself will come to
the Northern avenue until "the Liberty square is returned to people."