RAFFI HOVANNISIAN’S SUPPORTERS ACCOMPANIED BY HEAD OF ARMENIAN POLICE MOVE TO TSITSERNAKABERD MEMORIAL
ARMINFO
Tuesday, April 9, 20:40
The supporters of the Heritage Party leader Raffi Hovannisian, who
gained the second place in the Feb 18 2013 presidential race in Armenia
and has been holding actions of protest against the official results
of the election, are moving to Tsitsernakaberd Memorial dedicated to
the Armenian Genocide victims.
The procession participants are accompanied by Chief of Armenian
Police Vladimir Gasparyan, who had talked to Hovannisian in Baghramyan
Avenue. The further actions of Hovannisian’s supporters are not
known yet.
Earlier Hovannisian’s supporters were trying to get closer to the
Armenian President’s residence. However, the armed law-enforcers didn’t
let them move towards the residence. The activists’ constant attempts
to get through the Police’s cordon turned into scuffles. As a result,
a man was wounded and the furious activists started throwing stones
at the law-enforcers. In the morning Deputy Chairman of Heritage
Armen Martirosyan’s mother suffered during an incident.
In response to the rough action of a policeman against Martirosyan’s
mother, Martirosyan hit the policeman and was taken to the police
station. During the incident, Martirosyan was severely beaten.
To note, today Hovannisian’s supporters came from Gyumri to Yerevan
to attend the rally in Liberty Square, where Hovannisian held his
own swear-in ceremony while Serzh Sargsyan was holding his swear-
in ceremony at the Sport and Concert Complex. Earlier Hovannisian’s
supporters tried to move to the president’s residence, however,
the law-enforcers stopped the procession. As a result of a scuffle,
some activists were detained. Hovannisian’s supporters are also going
to hold an action near the Armenian Embassy in Moscow on April 9.