Riot police disperse rally in Yerevan’s Freedom Square, casualties are reported
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 1 2008
[ 01 Mar 2008 12:25 ]
Yerevan-APA. Armenian riot police have today dispersed the opposition’s
rally in Freedom Square. APA reports quoting Arminfo that the square
is surrounded by the police and no one, even journalists are allowed
in. The law-enforcement bodies are clearing the demonstrators camped
out in the square.
Armenian riot police used truncheons, tear gas and other means to break
up the protest action, witnesses said. According to the unconfirmed
reports, casualties are reported. Addressing the protesters at 7.00
a.m. leader of the opposition, ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosyan warned
them about dispersion of the rally. He called on the protesters not to
panic, or confront with the police. After that the government forces
started to disperse the protest action. Levon Ter-Petrosyan demanded
a relevant decision from the law-enforcement bodies for dispersing
the rally, but he was ignored. The riot police took him in an unknown
direction by force. Later it became known that ex-president was taken
home and is banned from leaving home.
The protest action started on February 20. Despite the warnings of
president Robert Kocharian and law-enforcement bodies, the protesters
did not stop the rally. They protested against the results of the
presidential elections held on February 19. Central Election Commission
had declared Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian’s victory in the elections.