ARMENIAN POLICE GO AFTER ORGANIZERS OF RIOTING IN YEREVAN
Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS
March 2, 2008 Sunday
Russia
Armenian law enforcement officers are hunting down the organizers of
the mass rioting in Yerevan.
"The situation in the city has returned to normal. Operational measures
are being taken to track down the organizers of the rioting, who will
be held to account," a police spokesman told Interfax on Sunday.
He did not rule out the possibility that security will be tightened
at vital facilities in Yerevan and its environs.
"The most important facilities such as the NPP and bridges must be
guarded," he said.
On Saturday morning, police dispersed a rally of supporters of
presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian.
The protesters moved to an area adjacent to the embassies of France
and Italy, where up to 10,000 people rallied. Police reported that,
by the evening, the situation had become uncontrollable and the crowd
had started looting nearby government institutions and private shops,
setting cars ablaze in the process.
An end was put to the rioting after a state of emergency was introduced
in Yerevan by a presidential decree.
According to the Health Ministry, eight people died in the unrest on
Saturday night.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
