Igityan would close it more firmly
The Committee in Defense of Political Prisoners and the Persecuted will hold a sitting strike at Freedom Square at 8-10 p.m. tomorrow, despite the denial of a notice by Yerevan municipality. The latter has reasoned that there was another event scheduled there on that day.
Engineer, member of Yerevan's council of elders Levon Igityan views the Armenian authorities' ban on entering Freedom Square as normal. What's more, he assures that he would close it more firmly. "We must do everything we can to become a sustainable country and there is no time for luxury. We are not in a situation to allow ourselves to do what the French do. The square was closed for such a long time for renovation and they were waiting all that time to go and commit wrongdoings. A person with self-esteem should not go to the rallies at all."
But where should people raise issues related to violation of human rights? In response to that, Igityan said though he was not content with the current state of affairs, "you can't build a nation by just talking or standing on top of the Matenadaran with your dirty feet."
Although director, actor Narek Duryan was hearing that Freedom Square is closed for the opposition for the first time, he said he understood that because they could even have been prohibited from holding a demonstration at Congord Square in Paris. However, he added that the authorities would offer another populated place in exchange. "I don't know if they give the youth the chance to hold the action somewhere else."
In general, he doesn't think this is normal because according to him, if over 100 youth should scare the government, that is not a good sign.
"Everyone has the right to express his opinion. Voltaire said, ‘I don't agree with you, but I will sacrifice my life for you to have the right to express your opinion.'"
