ARMENIAN POLICE DISPERSE RALLY PROTESTING AGAINST SAAKASHVILI’S VISIT

Interfax
June 26 2009
Russia

Armenian police clashed with people protesting against the Armenian
visit of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili near the Armenia
Marriott Hotel in downtown Yerevan on Thursday.

Natives of the Georgian region of Samtskhe-Javakheti, who currently
live in Armenia, held the protest. They demand that Saakashvili must
respect the rights of national minorities and give the official status
to the Armenian language in Samtskhe-Javakheti.

The police dispersed the unauthorized rally and had a brawl with head
of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun political
bureau Kiro Manoyan.

The latter has made no comments.

In all, the action involved about 50 people.

Saakashvili paid a two-day visit to Yerevan.