01:37, 22 February 2014

Yerevan hosts march against pension reform

March against the mandatory accumulative pension system. Yerevan, February 21, 2014. Photo by Armine Martirosyan for the ‘Caucasian Knot’.

On February 21, in Yerevan, about four thousand people took part in the march against the mandatory accumulative pension system.

The action was aimed at making people aware about the new pension reforms, and encourage them to consolidate, note the organizers of the event – the initiative group DEM.AM.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in December 2013 Yerevan activists set up a community called DEM.AM in the Facebook social network. The members of the community express their attitude to the pension reform in the country and organized several protest actions.

In the early days of the struggle, nobody believed that one day the protest would turn into a movement, said activist Gerasim Vardanyan. "Look how many we are today; and we are happy of our consolidation. If we have more and more supporters every day, the victory will be guaranteed," he said.

The new pension law does not directly cover Liana Sarkisyan, a marcher, but she said she could not stay away from the action. "We shouldn't stop; we have to fight to the end – against the whims of the authorities and in defence of our rights," Liana said in her interview to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Author: Armine Martirosyan

Source: CK correspondent