In Yerevan, police detain five opponents of construction in a park

Today, in Yerevan, four defenders of a park in the “Fizgorodok” residential microdistrict have been detained during a protest action held in front of the City Mayoralty building. Another activist has been taken to a police station after trying to prevent vehicles from entering the construction area.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on August 20, in Yerevan, in Alikhanyan Brothers Street (the territory of the so-called “Fizgorodok” residential microdistrict), a clash took place between the opponents of the construction of a multi-storey building and the police. At least four persons were detained. On September 10, residents of the “Fizgorodok” residential microdistrict complained that the developer resumed works in the part of the park, the legality of privatization of which was under investigation within a criminal case. On September 14, the protesters went on a hunger strike.

Today, the defenders of the park in the Yerevan “Fizgorodok” residential microdistrict have held a protest action near the capital’s administration with the demand to stop the construction of a multi-storey building in the park, the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent reports.

Ten members of the Council of Elders have come out to meet the opponents of the construction. They stated that they were not authorized to take any measures to stop the construction.

Residents of the “Fizgorodok” residential microdistrict have been dissatisfied with the meeting and in protest blocked the street adjacent to the Yerevan City Mayoralty. However, the police have stopped the protest action by detaining four activists. “The police act in the interests of big investors. Policemen used force and unblocked the traffic,” activist Vardan Arutyunyan told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

He noted that after the protest action, residents gathered near the park, preventing the entry of heavy vehicles into the construction area. “But even here the police distinguished themselves by detaining Hayk Arutyunyan, a participant of the dry hunger strike,” the activist added.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 14, 2021 at 03:08 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.