I keep receiving e-mails from Armenia sent by people who have not initially supported the protests. But it seems that by now people are more concerned with how the protesters are handled and brutalized by the authorities. The subject of one e-mail, sent by a freelance journalist, reads “sos” and asks for action. The body e-mail is short and direct:
mi ban ara, saytumd gri
menk kaki mej enk [do something; write in your blog. we are in shit]
Another journalist in Armenia, Onnik Krikorian, has left a comment on one of my posts advising caution on reporting rumors on killed protesters.
…please, let’s confirm the number of fatalities first before we quote them and they get taken as fact. From what I understand, nobody died this morning. Tonight, however, is going to be very bloody indeed.
Eyewitnesses at the scene have told ArmeniaNow that a woman struck when a police vehicle drove into a crowd of protesters near the Yerevan Municipal Building was killed by the blow.
An American citizen in the crowd also said he saw the police vehicle move into the crowd at a low-rate of speed running over three protestors including the woman, whom he, too believed to have been killed. After the vehicle stopped and its driver removed, the crowd set fire and burned the vehicle and subsequently two others.
The Ministry of Health, however, told ArmeniaNow that there have been no fatalities resulting from today’s clashes between law enforcement and opposition protestors.
I am now told that 10 people have been killed in the protest clashes in Armenia and that the number of Armenians in front of the French Embassy is 5,000.
One thing that can’t be denied about the post-election protests in Armenia is that the polarization seems to have no limits. The comments that people – on either side – leave on YouTube videos showing the clashes are extremely angry and irrational. People are cursing each other and calling the authorities “Turks” – further demonstrating the social revolution that Armenia needs.
I am not defending one or the other but while we call on the authorities not to use brutality we should also ask the protesters to stop violently cursing people and calling those they don’t like “Turks.” It doesn’t just show the level of intolerance among Armenians but to their neighbors as well.
FUCK… as I am writing this I am being told from a friend in Texas that she was just told that 6 people have died. 🙁 Don’t know what to say.
It is 25 minutes after noon in Armenia (March 1, 2008) and 1:00 at night in Colorado but I had to wake up and write this. Although I did read about the “cleaning up” of the protesters who had occupied the Liberty Square some of my friends from Yerevan sent me several text messages telling that Armenia’s authorities are using brutal methods to fight protesters who disagree with last week’s presidential election results . I am talking to some friends on Yahoo messenger and also writing this at the same time.
One friend is saying that the police are at this minute beating up the protesters and many have found refuge in foreign embassies, especially at the French embassy building.
A1Plus, a banned TV station, has posted a short video on the ongoing battle about 50 minutes ago:
In an e-mail addressed to an online group, an aquintance sent from Armenia the following minutes ago:
At about 7 am on March 1 the police and internal force dispersed the protest meeting at the Square of Freedom lasting for the tenth day which was initiated by Levon Ter-Petrosyan and his supporters who disputed the result of the vote.
Regnum reports that at the time when the meeting was dispersed the first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan was at the square who, according to the news agency, urged several thousand people at the Square not to resist to the police.
Witnesses said the police used truncheons and other special means, and the operation lasted for 10-15 minutes. Now the police and the internal forces have blocked the city center. Regnum reports that the police gathered the tents in which the protestors spent the night. Regnum reports traces of blood are seen in the square.
***
In the morning of March 1 Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s office issued a press release concerning the police action on the peaceful protestors.
“Today in the morning of 7.30 about 5 thousand policemen were deployed at the Square of Freedom who dispersed peace protestors. The police force led by the chief of Robert Kocharyan’s security tried to arrest the first president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan. Levon Ter-Petrosyan demanded to show the warrant, which they did not do. At the moment Levon Ter-Petrosyan is at the Square of Freedom surrounded by policemen. Some members of Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s team are missing. Levon Ter-Petrosyan stated that they will try to continue the protest meeting at 3 pm,” runs the release.
***
Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s office reports that on March 1, at 3 pm the protest will continue which was dispersed by the police force in the morning of the same day.
The rally of protest is foreseen to continue at the Square of Freedom , which is now surrounded by the police force. If it is impossible to hold the rally at the Square of Freedom , the rally will take place in North Avenue , if not, at the Square of Republic .
We have learned that Levon Ter-Petrosyan has been taken home from the Square of Freedom . There is no information about members of LevonTer-Petrosyan’s team who have been arrested.
The friend who woke me up says there is another protest growing up for 3:00 p.m. in Yerevan (in less than three hours).
Although the group that created the popular YES WE CAN song has just come up with another one endorsing Barack Obama for presidency, there are other songs that go unreported.
FlipRiotSquad, for instance, has recently posted a rap on the Democratic candidate called “Barack Obama – The People’s President.”