Arsen Babayan: Protest campaign entering its final and decisive stage

Panorama

Armenia –

Lawyer Arsen Babayan, a senior member of the opposition Homeland Party, urged people to join a big opposition rally to be held in Yerevan on 1 May as part of a protest campaign aimed at toppling Nikol Pashinyan and his cabinet.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, Babayan denounced the release of the police officer whose car hit and killed a young pregnant woman, Sona Mnatsakanyan, while escorting Nikol Pashinyan’s motorcade in Yerevan earlier this week.

“Are we going to tolerate the pro-Turkish authorities? Are we going to allow the Turks to make decisions in our homeland? Of course no!” Babayan wrote.

“We have stood up to oust the pro-Turkish authorities and to preserve the Armenian identity. Armenian nation, stand up! We are going to get rid of them once and for all. Let’s all gather at France Square on May 1, at 4pm. The final and decisive stage [of the protest campaign] is starting,” he said.

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS