Protesters in Yerevan protest against demolition of playground

Yerevan residents at a protest called on city officials not to allow the construction of an 18-story building on the site of a children's playground.

Residents of Yerevan's Nor Nork district today held a protest in front of the city hall. They are against the demolition of a children's playground and the construction of a new building in its place, News.am reports.

One of the protesters addressed Mayor Tigran Avinyan in absentia. "Mr. Avinyan, you are demolishing garages to build playgrounds, and now you are demolishing our playground to build a high-rise building. Explain the logic here?" his words are quoted in the publication.

Earlier, activist Artur Chakhoyan said that he and other residents are against the construction of an 18-story building on the site of a children's playground. He noted that four public discussions were held on this issue, and in three of them the authorities gave a negative conclusion, the Council of Elders also refused to issue a construction permit.

We are not going to remain silent and put up with it

“However, on September 9, as part of the agenda of the meeting of the Council of Elders of Yerevan, which is not subject to reporting, it is planned to issue a permit for the construction of an 18-story building at the expense of a children's playground. Our constitutional rights have been violated, and we are not going to remain silent and put up with injustice,” the publication quotes him as saying.

At a meeting with residents, the head of the “Republic” faction, Ani Khachatryan, assured that the negative conclusion of the head of the administrative district had been received, and that she proposed removing the issue from the agenda for a separate discussion.

In turn, the head of the “Mother Armenia” faction, Manuk Sukiasyan, proposed not removing the issue from the agenda, but discussing it publicly, writes “Sputnik Armenia”.