Interfax
Protestors 'siege' Soros foundation office in Yerevan, clash with police
YEREVAN. May 31
A protest rally against the activities of George Soros' Open Society Foundation in Armenia is taking place in front of the organization's office in Yerevan, an Interfax correspondent reported.
Civil activist Narek Malyan, who was previously an advisor to the Armenian police chief, organized the rally. Some 100 people are participating. Representatives of the Communist Party of Armenia have joined the protest.
Many policemen arrived at the scene, following which a scuffle broke out between them and the civil activists. Law enforcers pushed the rally participants back from the Soros foundation's building.
"As Armenian citizens, we have every right to block the building of the Soros foundation just the same as other citizens blocked the court buildings earlier upon the call of the prime minister. The police are obstructing our rally; those are double standards. Soros' will is being imposed on the state authorities," Malyan told the press.
Director of the Yerevan branch of the Soros Foundation Larisa Minasyan reported to the police earlier that the protestors were obstructing its activities. Malyan was summoned to the police, but refused to appear.
Malyan and members of the Adekvad social organization earlier held protests in front of the buildings of the parliament and the EU mission to Armenia. They said that the Armenian government "is controlled by Soros in reality."