Armenian opposition completes second rally at Liberty SquareApril 8, 2011 - 22:09 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian radical opposition was allowed for the second time to hold a rally at Liberty Square. The April 8 rally scenario resembled that of the March 17 events – the rally started near Matenadaran and then was continued at Liberty Square. This time, negotiations between the Armenian National Congress (ANC) for continuing the rally at Liberty Square lasted for a short time. Rally at Matenadaran At 06:00pm, the ANC rally kicked off near Matenadaran with a speech of Chairman of the Armenian National Movement Aram Manukyan. It was reported prior to the rally launch that the first cases of clashes between the rally participants and police were recorded near the rally site. Armenia’s former prime minister, ANC representative Hrant Bagratyan, former deputy prosecutor general Gagik Jhangiryan, leader of Republic party Aram Sargsyan and others also addressed the rally. According to Yerevan Police, the rally brought together 8,500 people. Rally restarts at Liberty Square After the speeches, ANC Coordinator Levon Zurabyan urged the rally participants to head for Liberty Square, which had been cordoned off by the police an hour before the rally launch. After negotiations between head of Yerevan Police Nerses Nazaryan and ANC Coordinator Levon Zurabyan, the police allowed the rally participants to enter Liberty Square to continue the rally there, as was the case on March 17. ANC holds its second rally at Liberty Square At 08:35pm, the opposition rally restarted at Liberty Square with a speech of the ANC leader, Armenia’s first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan, who said that not a power can deprive the people of its symbol – Liberty Square. Ter-Petrosyan again referred to problems of political prisoners’ liberation like on March 17. Specifically, he said that a dialogue between the authorities and public will not be established, unless problems related to political prisoners, lifting the ban on holding rallies at Liberty Square and revelation of the March 1-2, 2008, crimes, are solved. April 28 to mark either launch of dialogue with authorities or final rupture In the final part of his address, Ter-Petrosyan said that the next rally of ANC will be held on April 28. According to him, the Congress is not inclined to delivering ultimatums to the authorities, but April 28 will mark either the launch of a dialogue with the authorities or final rupture. Top stories The Cabinet of Ministers decided on Thursday, November 9 to allocated AMD 120 million to arrange the gathering. Michael Roth believes sanctions must be put on the table after Baku‘s ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Yerevan City Council has elected Tigran Avniyan from the ruling Civil Contract as the mayor of the Armenian capital. The Armenian Parliament on Tuesday, October 3 voted to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Partner news | Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Aliyev says no need for mediators in Armenia-Azerbaijan process Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that Baku and Yerevan do not mediators in the process of normalizing relations. Aram I supports Karekin II’s “patriotic position” Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I has expressed support for the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. U.S. believes peace is “possible” in South Caucasus The United States continues to believe that peace is possible in the South Caucasus, Vedant Patel said. |