12:22, 6 July 2015

Police remove barricades from Bagramyan Avenue in Yerevan (+video)

Police vehicles in in Bagramyan Avenue in Yeravan during protest actions. Photo by Armine Martirosyan for the ‘Caucasian Knot’.

In Bagramyan Avenue in Yerevan, protestors have been continuing their sitting strike against the growth of the prices for electricity for two weeks already. The police removed from Bagramyan Avenue the barricades of trash bins arranged by the protesters.

On June 17, the Commission for Regulation of Public Services (CRPS) of Armenia made a decision to increase electricity tariffs, starting from August 1, by 6.93 drams per 1 kW/h. On June 19, in the Armenian capital, activists declared a sit-in strike demanding from the President to cancel the decision to raise the prices for electricity. On June 22, they began a march to the presidential residence; however, by the morning of June 23, the protestors in Bagramyan Avenue were dispersed by the police. On June 23, a new rally was started in the centre of Yerevan.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 4, in Bagramyan Avenue, the protesters declared that they expect from the Armenian authorities to fulfil their demands until July 6, including the cancellation of the decision to increase the electricity tariff and punishment of policemen, who used force to disperse demonstrators on June 23. In case of the authorities' refusal to meet their demands, the activists have promised to move their barricades every day one step towards the presidential residence.

This morning, the police gave the protesters time to clear Bagramyan Avenue. The police declared no intention to interfere with the peaceful protest and added that the protesters could continue their action with clear roadway of Bagramyan Avenue.

After that, the police set up a cordon to separate the protesters and the barricades constructed of trash bins. Several dozen policemen started to cut trash bins tied together and move them to a truck belonging to the company "Sanitec", the owner of the trash bins tanks. By 12:05 a.m. Moscow time (1:05 p.m. Yerevan time), the barricades were completely removed from Bagramyan Avenue.

The protesters lined up in several rows in Bagramyan Avenue and booed the police actions.

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

Author: Tigran Petrosyan

Source: CK correspondent