Police crack down on opposition rally in Yerevan
ITAR-TASS, Russia
March 1 2008
01.03.2008, 07.04
YEREVAN, March 1 (Itar-Tass) – Police have cracked down on the rally
by opposition protesters in the centre of Yerevan.
The unauthorised round-the-clock rally was called by oppositional
forces that refuse to recognise the outcome of the February 19
presidential election.
According to police officials the demonstrators number 6,500.
At dawn police surrounded the Opera Square where opposition protesters
gathered for their rally. According to witnesses, the protesters have
been given an opportunity to go away along the Severny Avenue.
At present, the square is surrounded by policy. Several dozens of
tens have been demolished that the protesters built at the square.
The area around the Opera Square is encircled by road policy and it
does not allow transport to approach the site of the events.
Earlier in the week, policy and city authorities called on protesters
to stop unauthorised rallies and marches, and sit-down protest
actions. The protest actions, which were organised by first Armenian
President Levon Ter-Petrosyan and his supporters, took place on
February 19. They insist Ter-Petrosyan and not Prime Minister Serzh
Sarkisyan won the elections. But according to the latest results,
Ter-Petrosyan took the second place.
At the same time, police stressed that it "will take decisive measures
in compliance with law in order to protect constitutional order and
security in the country". Sarkisyan who was elected Armenia’s president
confirmed that the authorities "will be tolerant until one is trying
to abuse this tolerance and this could lead to bad consequences".
The situation is normal in Yerevan. Neither the authorities nor the
opposition made any statements.