Yesterday at 10.30 a.m. several dozens of policemen and people wearing plain clothes, showed up in Northern Avenue, shouted abuse at the sit-down strikers, tore posters and left taking along their posters. However the police didn’t try to substantiate its actions. As a response to the question of the citizens and the opposition MPs as what the ground of tearing posters is the policemen said that there was no prior decision made. The ground for such actions is the complaints of the storeowners of the Northern Avenue. About a dozen policemen were quick to again move into the street later in the morning after a young man defied them by posting an opposition banner on the wall. They removed it after a brief altercation with the protesters. One of the officers said that they are acting on complaints lodged by the owners of expensive buildings lining the street. At about 7:00 p.m. a group of red beret armed men attacked the protesters again and tore the rest of the posters. As a result they pushed a woman and hurt some others. Afterward they left. It is hard to figure out what kind of logic the government is guided by when they attack the protesters on the eve of September 5 rally and the session of the PACE on September 11 when they are going to discuss the issue of Armenia. It is quite definite that the mentioned action is going to conduce to a greater number of rally participants on September 5 and increase of the negative opinion about Armenia on part of the international community.
