Interfax News Agency, Russia
May 24 2008

Armenian police prevent opposition protests in central Yerevan

YEREVAN May 29

Freedom Square in central Yerevan was cordoned off by rows of police
officers after an attempt to stage protests by a group of supporters
of former presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian.

Opposition activists tried to approach the square from the adjacent
Severny Prospekt in order to stage a small rally, but law enforcement
officers cordoned off the whole area, an Interfax correspondent
reported from the scene.

No one is allowed into the square. Also, hundreds of cafe visitors
around the square became temporary "hostages" because police are not
letting anyone out of the cordon, the correspondent said.

After the presidential election on February 19 the Armenian opposition
led by former president Ter-Petrosian defied the election results by
staging 24-hour protests at the Freedom Square.

On March 1 opposition protests turned into violent clashes with
police, which resulted in ten casualties and more than 250 people
injured.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a
resolution, "Functioning of democratic institutions in Armenia," which
urged Armenia to guarantee its citizens’ rights to rallies and
demonstrations, to release all political detainees, and to conduct an
independent and transparent inquiry into the March 1 events.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress