People march to Liberty Square with small Christmas trees in their hands (video)
19:15 Deputy Chief of Yerevan Police Valeri Osipyan, who is at Liberty Square watching the event organized by the New Armenia Public Salvation Front, says the police do not arrest anyone unnecessarily.
In reply to A1+’s observation that the police did not allow activists to place a Christmas tree at the square on December 31, Mr Osipyan said, “The problem is not in Christmas trees. They could have brought other objects to the square. The problem is that they did not notify the Municipality.”
19:00 Members of the New Armenia Public Salvation Front have laid a table at Liberty Square and are celebrating one another with wine.
About ten policemen are at the square. Deputy Chief of Yerevan Police Valeri Osipyan is watching the celebration from afar.
18:36 “On December 31, when we were celebrating New Year’s Eve here [at Liberty Square] police used brutal inadequate force against activists and started illegal actions. I was standing here with a Christmas tree in my hand. I even told [Valery] Osipyan that I would not place the Christmas tree and would keep it in my hand,” Armen Martirosyan, Vice-Chairman of the Heritage Party, a representative of the New Armenia opposition movement, told A1+.
“Where did the Ministry of Culture know whether the placement of a Christmas tree was a political or a cultural move? After the incident, our co-citizens decided that we should march to Liberty Square on January 13 and celebrate the day here. I welcome the initiative,” he added wishing our citizens freedom in the new year.
18:24 In solidarity with the Christmas trees that were smashed at Liberty Square on December 31, as well as activists who tried to place the Christmas trees at the square, a group of citizens today gathered near the Statue of Martiros Saryan. Accompanied by a Santa Claus, the group is now marching to Liberty Square.
