On 15 April all the 6 brigades of dismantlers showed up in Mashtots Park to launch dismantling activities, they were able to unscrew three bolts despite violent actions by policemen.
Tigran Khzmalyan, member of the first brigade, filmmaker, member of Sardarapat Initiative, was able to climb on the roof of one of the brigades. The police dragged him down by force. The groups of dismantlers were able to go up to the boutiques and climb the roofs.
Robert Melkonyan, chief of Yerevan garrison, wearing plainclothes, rushed to the park, refused to answer the reporters’ questions, noting that they tell people something once.
Manvel Sargsyan, head of ACNIS, member of the first brigade, said, “We will grow in number until they understand it is impossible to do anything against people. The policemen were aggressive today, they hit out of personal reasons, they hit me in the back as well. These people have assumed the role of guards of oligarchs of Armenia, they cannot resort to the law, they resort to the guards of oligarchs,” Manvel Sargsyan said, assuring that time will come, and they will face the law.
According to him, this is a small particle of the oligarchic value for which hundreds of policemen have become bodyguards of oligarchs. “If we broke the law, then hold us responsible, if these people do not do that because this part [shows the bolt] is not worth a penny for them, they are hostages but it is their business, we will continue to unscrew part after part, bring and put here, let them come and take this rubbish if it is value for them,” Manvel Sargsyan said, noting that they will dismantle all the boutiques.
Nvard Manasyan, member of the fifth brigade, political scientist, noted that they are here, first, to return the law, teach law to the policemen, and second, to liberate our park. “We are fighting for public interests, while these people interpreted public interests otherwise, by building North Avenue, allowing Afrikyan Club to be destroyed, to eliminate defense, build ugly buildings, they should have thought for the society, not for the pocket of one or another,” Nvard Manasyan added.
In the meanwhile, the City Hall does not retreat because it will create a precedent. According to the political scientist, the owners were also cheated but she does not care for the owners now.
Andreas Ghukasyan said there is no law enforcement even the police cannot punish the citizens who are fighting against it. “Today we showed that we can dismantle and we did it and again nobody was punished. Once again we call on the local government bodies to end this outrageous situation, we will come here until they make relevant decisions and restore the legal situation in Mashtots Park.”
One of the dismantlers gave one of the bolts to Robert Melkonyan but he did not accept the gift.
April 16, 2012 at 15:24