Police create provocation
Though the Yerevan City Hall had sanctioned today's march organized by the Armenian National Congress and Committee for the Protection of Political Prisoners, Armenian police attempted to create provocation.
Near the RA Prosecutor's Office the police made the marchers walk on the pavement which was impossible for more than 1000 participants. A few times, police officers attempted to interfere with the march, pushing people aside, but ANC leaders put a halt to those actions. On the other hand, the police guarded state buildings (Prosecutor's Office, Government and City Hall) making an endless line on the pavements.
The march dedicated to the Human Rights Day headed from the Statue of Saryan and passed through central streets with participants waving the Armenian flag, drumming and chanting.
The action was led by the heads of the opposition parties. One could see Gagik and Vardan Jhangiryans, former prisoners Miasnik Malkhasyan, Alexander Arzumanyan, Petros Makeyan on the front lines.
Near the Statue of Miasnikyan the marchers observed a one-minute silence commemorating the March 1 victims.
They handed two documnets to the UN Yerevan Office and the Council of European inviting the attention of international community to numerous breaches in Armenia.
The marchers voiced support for opposition activitist Nikol Pashinyan in the upcoming by-election and urged their proponents to attend the opposition's rally of January 8.
