Armenian Patchwork

Activity after State of Emergency

March 22nd, 2008 by anush

First day after the State of Emergency, and as it was expected, lots of people crowded the central streets of Yerevan. The silent protest with people standing in a line did not really happen, but you could see some people line up at different spots of streets. Many of the participants found their own ways of expression.
It was interesting that most of the active participants were women. Some of them quiet, others occasionally shouting at the policemen and being pretty angry in general. About ten times I was asked whether I was from Haylur of the Public TV and then kicked away because “there’s no use of the photographs, as you are not showing them to anyone”.
Young people were active and seemed to be actually the ones who were trying to begin and keep the row of people.

Woman prays for those who died during 1 March events.

Soldier blocks the entrance to the Freedom Square, where some people had planned to light candles.

Instead of the Freedom Square, people hold candles walking along a street next to the Square.

People are pushed farther from a street next to the Square.

Participants hold pictures of political prisoners or the victims of 1 March events.

Candles were lit on the monument to composer Arno Babajanyan, which is next to the Square.

The situation was calm except a couple of small fights between the protesters and the police.

People went all the way to the French Embassy where the line was supposed to end.

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