“Violence has no excuse.” Protest action in front of Municipality

After the brawl at today’s Yerevan Council of Elders’ session a number of civil activists a held a protest action in front of the Yerevan City Hall with “Violence has no excuse” and other banners. They entered the building of the City Hall, whistling and shouting “dictatorship”, “city-toilet”.

The protest began at 17.30 pm and was aimed at condemning what happened during the morning session of the City Council, when by the Mayor’s order a group of men beat the opposition party “Yerkir Tsirani” members Marine Aghekyan and Sona Khachatryan.

Half an hour after the protest, the policemen took out protesters from the community building, striking, and pulling some clothes off. Part of the protesting activists continued their action at the entrance to the Yerevan History Museum at the City Hall. There was also violence against them.

Outside the protesters made a statement in which they said:

“We, those gathered in front of the Municipality of Yerevan, do not find any other way than to come out and demand to release the Council of Elders from government officials who attacked, beat and sexually assaulted the oppositional women, and punish those criminals. Today, at 17.00-18.30, we seized the entrance of the City Hall and the City History Museum, demanding the above, as a result of which the disproportionate force was applied to us by the police, and some were bodily and materially damaged. Therefore, this statement also provides information on a crime. Thus, we state that pressure and violence against women are widespread and systematic, and today’s incidents are part of them. Our struggle has not just begun and will not end today. ”

Full text in Armenian