Yerevan activists hold short sit-in strike in centre of Republic Square

In Yerevan, at night, six activists managed to hold a brief protest action in the centre of Republic Square. However, their sit-in strike on the roadway was stopped by the police.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 27 in Yerevan about 50 persons began their picket in Republic Square against the growth of electricity tariff, organized by the civil initiative "Arise, Armenia!" The square was cordoned off by police units; however, the protesters said the action would not stop at night.

Tonight, six activists bypassed the police cordon and sat down on the stone carpet in the centre of Republic Square.

The police responded immediately to the action of the picketers, among whom there was Andreas Gukasyan, a political scientist, one of the organizers of the rally, a member of the civil movement "Arise, Armenia!" and a former presidential candidate of Armenia. The police took measures to squeeze the activists away.

Clarification of the "Caucasian Knot" of 12:30 a.m. Moscow time on July 28, 2015: two such breaks into the centre of the square were undertaken at approximately 9:00 and 11:00 p.m. local time.

Activists will periodically attempt to break into the stone carpet in the centre of the square, said Gukasyan. According to his story, they want to "conquer the police by attrition."

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.