Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Eyewitnesses Tell of Yerevan Violence
Facts based on people I talked to who were present at the area, pictures, videos and news coverage.
1. elections were falsified, It is impossible that Serj could collect over 50%.
2. police attacked the peaceful, demonstrators at night (AM 6:30) in front of opera. No warning was given. people were sleeping in tents, some with their families. Levon Ter-Petrossian and many other were arrested. Some people who were beaten heavily were taking to prison rather than hospital.
3. people gathered infront of French Embassy, they were angry, in panic and seeking protection.
4. many other people joined them to learn that what was happening. The number grew to thousands, all peaceful, many children and women present. It was a peaceful demonstration.
5. people are offered to go to marzahamergayin Hamalir (a ports comlex). they reject as they would be imprisoned in that building. Also don’t forget that the place is very close to LTP’s residence where he is under house arrest. if people went there they would be crashed under the excuse that they were going to free LTP.
5. A police car drives deep into the crowds, running over 2 people. The first provocation. Angry people burn the car. some very strange looking men attack the policemen, some angry people join them. It is clearly visible that these strange men are undercover agents.
6. People calms down and the peaceful protest continues.
7. LTP is trying negotiate with Serje and Kocharian. people are waiting for LTP’s arrival.
8. Oskanian holds a press conference, where he declares that all the papers for EoS are ready to be signed. please note that the protestors are peaceful and negotiations between LTP and Serj/robers are still ongoing.
7. around 9 PM Riot Police attacks the crowds, many are beaten and chased to Circus, at least 300m away.
8. people charge back police retreats. people start defending and building new barricades .
9. Some police are beaten by their commanders because they didn’t want to attack.
10. the negotiations between LTP and Serje and Kocharian duo completely fails. the due rejects any deal and are determined to crash the protesters.
10. new attacks, protesters being shot, a chaos but people still fighting and holding the barricade.
11. people chase police and there is some fight at Prospect, infront of the closed market. police cars are burned. no shops are damaged. most of the protesters go back to barricades.
12. EoS is declared.
12. groups of looters appear at prospect area, this is 500 meters away from the protest area. They have sacks in their hands, they start breaking in the shops and looting. they go and come back again to continue looting. There are state controlled TV crews which record the lootings.
13. All the hopes of stopping the situation fails, Serj and Roberts are determined to do anything to crash the protests. LTP learns about the killings, provocations and lootings asks people to go homes.
14. People obey and leave,
15. looting continues and new cars are being burned. please note that the protesters already left.
16. TV shows only scenes of lootings, some edited footage combining the French Embassy fights with opera police attack.
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