Opposition rally participants beaten each other in Yerevan

PanARMENIAN.Net - Started at around 08.00 p.m., the rally organized by the Armenian National Congress (ANC) gathered over 3000 people near the repository of ancient manuscripts Matenadaran in Yerevan.



The rally began with a short brawl between some participants, but other protesters quickly prevent them from fighting. Police was not at the site at the moment of conflict. Posters with a picture of RA MP Sasun Mikaelyan, currently imprisoned, were in the hands of some rally participants.



The first speech of Ashot Zakaryan, ANC activist and the head of the Shirak territorial body of "Yerkrapah" began with criticism towards authorities on the matter of recently declared amnesty. According to Ashot Zakaryan, "it is not forced compromise of authorities conditioned by the pressure of Europe". The latter does not care for democracy in countries like Armenia. According to him, the amnesty is a victory of opposition forces in Armenia.



In later statements the June amnesty was called 'cheap propaganda trick', since hundreds of people had been arrested and put in jail after March 1 events.



The Armenian National Congress leaders, Levon Ter-Petrossian, Stepan Demirchyan, Aram Sarkisyan, David Shahnazaryan, Ararat Zurabyan and Levon Zurabyan, as well as recently released from prison due to amnesty former Deputy Prosecutor General of Armenia Gagik Jhangiryan take part in today's rally.