Summer tension

10/06/2010

Yesterday our police once again reminded of its existence. The police has used force against a former political prisoner Vardges Gaspari, who’s been doing a sit-in strike in the Liberty Square for the past three days and against ANC activists, who were at the square at that time. Minutes later the policemen "removed" ANC activist Vardges Gaspari, Sargis Gevorgyan, Vahagn Gevorgyan, Sergey Karapetyan and Vladimir Karapetyan from the square as well. Chairwoman of Social Democrat Hnchak Party (SDHK) Lyudmila Sargsyan was taken to the police station from Liberty Square with a few journalists as well. Ani Gevorgyan, a correspondent for the pro-opposition daily “Haykakan Zhamanak,” her brother Sargis and another opposition activist, Davit Kiramijyan, were among at least 15 people detained during Monday’s clashes between several dozen ANC supporters and riot police. The latter used force to prevent the oppositionists from entering the newly renovated Liberty Square. The violence against the ANC supporters continued near Saryan statue as well. The police officers surrounded the nearby area of the statue and started to collect the ANC members. Later the police started to release meaningless statements that they have taken these people under police custody due to violating the public order, demeaned a policeman, etc. The ones taken to hospital were kept in the downtown department of the police till late night and the officers against violence against them. Besides that the police beat the people, who gathered in front of the downtown police department, including women. In a word, the police yesterday was especially cruel to women by one more time reaffirming that it is no accident that the day of the policemen is being marked on April 16.