Protests Still Ongoing in Yerevan but Numbers Decreasing

Despite a police ultimatum saying that they would use force against demonstrators if they did not leave the Baghramian Avenue by 11pm on June 28, when this deadline passed the police attempted only to remove recycle bins which had been used as barricades.

The new leaders of the demonstration, which arrived yesterday, are largely unknown to the public, and there is an element of ambiguity about the future strategy of the movement. However, demonstrators are now discussing ways to make the government satisfy their demands. The public debates and discussions about the future steps of the #Electric Yerevan movement evolved into dances and songs in the avenue, while at the same time the former leaders of #Electric Yerevan organized another rally in Freedom Square where several hundred people gathered.

The former organizers reconfirmed their position to be a part of the commission to conduct an audit into the energy networks of Armenia as was suggested by the Armenian president on June 27.

On June 29, a Monday, the number of protestors decreased with many going to work and some losing patience with the ambiguity of the protest’s direction and purpose.

While roughly 4,000 people participated in the sit down strike again on Monday, the TV stations in Armenia announced that the sit down strike was over already. The demonstrators have described this as an obvious lie.

Demonstrator Karen Harutyunan, speaking about the misinformation of the TV channels, said the demonstrators should ridicule the Armenian channels spreading apparently biased reports in the same way that they do with reports by Russian agencies.