Pension reforms protest kicks off in Armenia’s Vandzor (photos, video)

15:44 * 08.02.14

The activists of civic group conducting an active campaign against the
funded pensions are protesting today in Armenia’s third largest city,
Vanadzor.

The crowd began with a procession and then gathered in the city’s
Artsakh square for a rally.

Different activists of the group ‘I am Against!’ are now delivering
speeches in the city’s Artsakh square, expressing their protest
against the amended pension law.

“Why should the Government do a favor to others with our money? Our
money goes to god knows where and god knows why,” said Tigran
Simonyan, a young activist attending the protest.

The compulsory component of the pension law, which requires that all
Armenian citizens born after 1973 pay 5%-10% of their salaries to the
pension funds, went into effect on January 1. But shortly after it was
suspended by the Constitutional Court in the wake of a wild public
anger and protests. But the group claim claims that despite the
ruling, many organizations in Armenia urge their emplyees to pay the
salary taxes.

Video by CivilNet TV