Yerevan authorities supported by law enforcers dismantle part of Firdusi market

On July 19, the Yerevan Mayor's Office started dismantling a clothing market along Firdusi Street in the centre of the Armenian capital.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on June 6, officials from the Yerevan Mayor's Office announced that construction works were to be started in the market territory on June 15. Sellers are offered places in other places in Yerevan, but they are worried that they will not be able to sell their goods there.

Residents of the surrounding houses to be demolished and owners of trading outlets in the market tried to prevent the dismantling works. The police forces were accumulated in the market territory. The situation was heated to the limit, and conflict situations repeatedly occurred between the sellers protesting against the demolition of the market and the police. Nevertheless, in the afternoon on July 19, with the law enforcers' support, the Mayor's Office managed to partly dismantle the trading rows.

The sellers argue that the city authorities did not properly inform them about the demolition of the market. Besides, they also treat the proposal of the Mayor's Office to transfer their businesses to other shopping complexes as unprofitable for them. According to the sellers, they asked to postpone the demolition of the market until the end of the year, but the authorities ignored their request.

In turn, residents of neighbouring houses state that the compensation offered to them for their housing does not correspond to the market prices for real estate in the centre of Yerevan.

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