While till the rally of the Pan-Armenian Movement would start near the Matenadaran yesterday evening there were rumors circulating that the transportation means traveling to Yerevan from marzes wouldn’t function. This is done to ban the attendance of citizens from marzes to the rally.
A part of the ones, who visited from marzes, reached Yerevan on foot. Another part of the rally participants visited a day before the rally taken into account the precedent of the June 20 rally. After short-term negotiations Yerevan Chief of Police Nerses Nazaryan and RA Deputy Chief of Police Alexander Afyan allowed the rally to be held near the Matenadaran on condition that there would be no march along the streets of Yerevan. Though the rally organized by the All Armenian Movement began in 30 minutes, the police encircled Liberty Square and the area near the Matenadaran long before. The representative of the People’s Movement Levon Zurabyan thanked the participants of the march and the police. “Now we are celebrating a great victory which is not only our victory but the victory of the entire society, the police, also the government.” Because, according to Levon Zurabyan, both the opposition and the government proved their readiness for civilized movement, and this is the victory of the state. Afterwards Levon Zurabyan asked everyone who was not going to remain for the sitting protest to go home quietly, without any incidents. Almost all the opposition leaders were on the podium of the Matenadaran. A little later Levon Ter-Petrosyan arrived. This time the rally was facilitated by member of the political board of the Republic Party Souren Sourenyants. At 11 pm the march along Mashtots Avenue-City Hall-Republic Square-Nalbandyan street-Tumanyan street ended. A lot of people walked in the march, when the first rows reached North Avenue, the back rows arrived 20-25 minutes later. Representative of the All Armenian Movement Levon Zurabyan announced that their Party is starting a 28-day-long sit-down strike in Northern Avenue, considering that it will have a decisive role in their struggle. Levon Zurabyan, representative of the Center of the Popular Movement, addressed the rally in front of the Matenadaran on July 4 and said the Popular Movement has a plan. “From now on, only tough struggle because all our constructive proposals were declined, and the response was violent force.” Zurabyan said if there is a wish, neither heat nor cold can be an obstacle. In July the 100 days of the illegitimate presidency of Serzh Sargsyan will finish, Levon Zurabyan says. On August 1 people will gather in front of the Matenadaran and will spell out their final decision not only on the Serzh-Kocharyan regime but on the 100 days of office of Serzh Sargsyan. Levon Zurabyan stated that from today a 24 hour rally starts on North Avenue. “We have no right to go home from the street as long as our friends are political prisoners, and for 28 days we will be preparing for the powerful rally on August 1.” The provocative assault of the gangs controlled by the illegitimate government on the participants of the political walk on North Avenue at 7 pm on July 2, 2008 is evidence that the laws do not work in Armenia, and the government holds on to power through unlawful activities based on violence. The unification of people around the Popular Movement is evidence that the citizens of the Republic of Armenia are ready to stand up for their rights, and will pursue the establishment of a popular government and will not obey the group which has usurped power and pursues its interests only. Hence, by condemning the violence by the gangs controlled by the government, we appeal to our compatriots to participate in the pan-republic rally on July 4 to re-establish democracy, shape a legitimate government and put an end to the activities of gangs which are out of law. At the same time, we call upon our compatriots living in the Diaspora to help our compatriots in Armenia to reach the goals of the People’s Movement in Armenia. “We gave the authorities time and an opportunity to think seriously over our proposal to start a constructive dialogue which is conditional on the release of all political prisoners,” said Ter-Petrosyan. “But they failed to understand or wrongly assessed motives for our move, apparently figuring out that by holding the political prisoners hostage they will force us to deal only with that issue and to deviate from the goals of the [opposition] movement.” “Therefore, we are going to somewhat change our tactic by seeking to achieve a maximum mobilization of the public this month,” he said, adding that the opposition will hold “mass and non-mass” street protests in and outside Yerevan to “properly prepare” for the August 1 demonstration. During that rally the opposition will sum up Sargsyan’s 100 days in office and come up with a “program of our further actions,” he said. Ter-Petrosyan also spoke about the separate things, which Serzh Sargsyan must do till August 1. On behalf of the movement Levon Ter-Petrosyan set forward the following demands: release political prisoners, stop political persecution, take prompt action against political persecution carried out on the basis of the illegal circular of the head of the Special Investigation Service Andranik Mirzoyan (by the way, Ter-Petrosyan appeals to the human rights defender and the chair of the state and legal committee Davit Harutiunyan to make a complete legal evaluation of that circular), reveal and bring before justice all those responsible for the crimes of March 1, first of all Robert Kocharyan. And one more demand, dismiss all the persons who organized election fraud during the presidential election, and had a key role in the crime of March 1: vice premier Armen Gevorgyan, head of the president staff Hovik Abrahamyan, Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan, the head of the National Security Service Gorik Hakobyan, the president of the Public Television and Radio Council Alik Harutiunyan. “Serzh Sargsyan has two ways, depending on his perceptions of a state. If his aim is to strengthen the state and guarantee the welfare of people, he must dissolve the bandit state, reveal March 1, release political prisoners, shape a government of technocratic professionals, struggle black economy, make major taxpayers to pay taxes, ensure equal competition, complete independence of the judicial and legislative government, guarantee freedom of the press, take real steps toward the settlement of the Karabakh conflict,” and if he takes those steps, “with a positive baggage he will support his legitimacy through an early election. If he takes those steps, he will be a serious opponent to me in the early presidential elections,” Levon Ter-Petrosyan said. According to him, the other way for Sargsyan, if he aims to strengthen his illegitimate government, he must disavow half-steps and learn from his teachers Saddam Hussein and Mugabee and set up a dictatorship and repress any attempt of people to stand up for their rights. The impression from Sargsyan’s current actions is that without a public support Sargsyan chooses the second way. Serzh perceives three things wrongly. His actions are based on three wrong perceptions. First, lacking public support, he relies on intimidation of people through the security agencies. The second wrong perception is that people will get tired and go home. The third mistake is that they do not realize what society they deal with. I should note that in all the three cases the government will get frustrated. People will not get frustrated, will not fear, and will continue to struggle for their rights because this society is not the indifferent society of the past ten years but citizens who are conscious of their freedom, Ter-Petrosyan says. In his speech publicist Tigran Paskevichyan stated that a new Karabakh movement is starting from this period. This movement is first of all against Kocharyan and Sargsyan. “After the PACE resolutions the intelligentsia of Armenia should have expressed its concerns and if they were real they should have been making their speeches in this square and demand redress. But where is the intelligentsia now? They are not even familiar with those documents because they are standing in lines of the president’s office or other “sacred” doors for their medals, grants and posts. No Zori Balayan, Henrik Igityan, Armen Mazmanyan ever ask this government what the deal is with the NKR conflict,” he said. Member of the Heritage party Zoya Tadevosyan mentioned in her speech that she had made a decision to run in the elections of the community head of Arabkir. Chairman of the Republic Party Aram Sargsyan announced, “in order to become an international factor we only have one way. That is to be several levels higher in democracy compared to our regional neighbors. The only way to it is the fair elections.” Davit Shahnazaryan noted that the Party starts making resolute steps from today on and the society can play an important role in this process. He also spoke of the start of “decisive actions” as he addressed some 10,000 people who gathered outside Yerevan’s Matenadaran museum of ancient manuscripts. Let us mention that after yesterday’s rally about 100 people attended the 28-day protest action, among who were many party members.