When a group of young Armenians spontaneously gathered in Yerevan’s Liberty Square 10 days ago to challenge the planned increase of electricity rates, no one expected their protest to reverberate around the world.
To everyone’s surprise, the small gathering mushroomed into several thousand mostly young people who marched to the capital city’s major thoroughfare, Baghramyan Avenue, where the Presidential Palace, the Parliament, and the Constitutional Court are located, and staged an overnight sit-in. The protests quickly spread to major towns and cities throughout Armenia.
Since the demonstrators refused to vacate the avenue, the police dispersed them with water cannons, injuring a dozen protesters and arresting 237 others. The police also detained several journalists, damaging or confiscating their cameras and tape recorders.
As images of these confrontations were disseminated through social media and various websites, several thousand more protesters showed up the next day, making crowd-control practically impossible. At the time of writing this column—the evening of June 29—demonstrators were still occupying portions of Baghramyan Avenue.
Who are these young men and women and what do they want? They are not affiliated with any political parties or foreign powers, contrary to baseless accusations, and have no agenda other than demanding that the Armenian government rescind the 17-percent increase in the cost of electricity, effective Aug. 1. These activists believe that they are legally and morally justified to block city streets because their protest is peaceful and spontaneous. They have named their movement “No to Plunder.”
The authorities made several attempts to persuade these young people to abandon their protest. When President Serge Sarkisian proposed to meet with them, the protesters declined the request demanding that the meeting be televised live to the public. The government’s offer to subsidize the higher cost of electricity by providing a corresponding increase in aid to over 100,000 destitute families was also rejected. Finally, the president’s decision to freeze the rate increase until an international auditing company reviews the financial records of the Energy Networks of Armenia, a subsidiary of a Russian company, to see if the new rate is warranted, was also turned down.
The first break in the tense standoff came last Sunday night when the protest organizers accepted the police offer and moved back to Liberty Square to avoid another bloody confrontation. They announced on Monday night that they are ending their protest and will decide their next move shortly. Most demonstrators, however, refused to follow the lead of the organizers, spending another night in the middle of Baghramyan Avenue, chanting, “We are the masters of our country.”
This new generation of men and women are disenchanted with both the authorities and the political opposition. However, rather than giving up and leaving the country like so many others, the protest organizers took to the streets to defend the people’s rights. These activists showed that although they have no power, no wealth, and no official position, they are capable of rising to the occasion when necessary and rallying the masses around them, commanding the grudging respect of the authorities! One may disagree with the protesters’ tactics, but cannot help but admire their sincerity and commitment to the welfare of their fellow Armenians.
There are three important lessons to be learned from these recent developments:
1) The future of Armenia will be in good hands as long as there are young people in the upcoming generation like those who appeared spontaneously last week in the streets of Yerevan.
2) Opposition political parties in Armenia have little chance of assuming power anytime soon, unless they completely overhaul their policies, attract bright, committed, and resourceful young men and women to their ranks, and allow them to rise to positions of leadership.
3) The people of Armenia have had a deep-seated distrust of all successive governments before and since independence. The leaders in power are facing far greater problems than the price of electricity. It is an existential imperative for Armenia to establish a just and democratic society in which the citizenry can live in dignity, prosperity, and peace. Armenians would not need to protest in the streets of Yerevan if there were effective mechanisms that people can trust to defend their basic civil rights and secure their economic wellbeing.
Harut Sassounian
{It is an existential imperative for Armenia to establish a just and democratic society[…]}
‘Just and democratic society’ is a demi-oxymoron, so to say. A society may be just, but not necessarily democratic. And, conversely, a society may be democratic, but not necessarily just.
Many forms of government—other than democracy—could claim to be just for their societies. For instance, a European monarchy—in which supreme power is nominally lodged with a sovereign, often for life—would certainly say they’ve built a just society. The few remaining people’s republics or the former communist USSR would certainly consider their societies just, because resources were distributed by need and produced by ability, wherein the state—not private corporations—controlled the means of production. Fascists, I guess, would tell us their form of government was just, because in a country ruled by a totalitarian and corporatist government, the wealth was distributed evenly in the society. Republican form of government would certainly qualify as just societies, because the government executives would exercise power according to the rule of law. Finally, theocracy would almost undoubtedly consider its society just, because in it God is recognized as the society’s supreme civil ruler.
Whatever the form of government is, there has never been nor will there ever be a ‘just’ human society. Democratic or not.
The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
What started as a legitimate public exercise and civic action with good intentions has turned into a farce.
A major street in the capital city has turned into a place for young people to just hang out.
Meanwhile the original leaders who were making fiery speeches have disappeared. But the trash bins blocking the street haven’t.
Everybody else in the city is held hostage to a several dozen people who have camped there and are refusing to leave.
People who live on Baghramian Avenue have been suffering for days*, but nobody cares.
The young people who organized this effected some positive results to be sure.
However, they also left lasting damage: now any group with whatever grievance they can come up with will just take over a public street and police will not be able to enforce the law and remove them, lest Armenian (American) Bar Association issue one of their feared admonitions from afar.
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* http://www.tert.am/en/news/2015/07/02/closedbaghramian/1723544
{“The [residents] are not able to stand this anymore. We cannot sleep or open a balcony door because of the terrible noise. The much respected demonstrators fail to observe the rules of co-existence,” one of residents told our correspondent.}
These are three important lessons for Sargsyan’s regime to learn from these recent developments:
1) The future of Armenia will no longer be in the hands of crooked mafia hoodlums controlled by Moscow, but will instead be in the hands of patriotic, noble Armenians who are devoted to creating a corrupt-free Armenia where justice prevails, and where each precious Armenian has an equal say in the decisions that affect his or her life.
2) These recent developments are just the beginning of the problems being faced by Sargsyan’s regime. Let Serzh be fully aware that the citizens of Armenia will no longer tolerate these unjust policies being imposed upon them by their foul government. Under the explosive condition which we’re currently witnessing in Yerevan, any further wrongdoing by Sargsyan’s regime could possibly ignite a massive explosion.
3) “We are the masters of our country.” The Sargsyan regime needs to familiarize themselves well with this particular slogan. It is the citizens of Armenia who are the masters of their country and not the Moscow-controlled mafia family composed of Serzh and his crew of thugs.
5,000 protesters do not decide the fate of the country.
5,000 protesters in a city of 1,000,000+ do not decide the fate of the country.
A hundred young people whose bills are paid by somebody else and who have nothing better to do than waste their lives away sleeping on the street do not decide the fate of the country.
The _administration_ of President Sargsian represents 3 million citizens of Republic of Armenia.
President Sargsian was re-elected in a landslide.
Delusional people can keep hoping that their hallucinations will come true: keep hoping and wasting your life away.
The so-called “masters of the our country” who illegally occupied Baghramian Avenue have disappeared. The street has been taken over by young people who have time on their hands.
Young people sleeping on the street like bums: some “masters”.
The “masters” who started this are hiding in shame: too embarrassed of what this has become.
Avery,
You’re doing a terrific job defending the National Cause. By far more splendid job then when it comes to sober criticism of the RoA government’s wrongdoings (I’m not saying that all that the government does is wrong). The recent electricity price hike was the latest in the series. We will never know as to why the government has taken an unpopular measure that they knew would trigger public uproar. However, the 5,000 (at times 10,000) protesters in Yerevan were mostly the young, i.e. the generation that has every right to decide the fate of the country they’ll be receiving from the hands of the current government. During the protests in 2008, tens of thousands protesters rose up. Earlier, in 1996, tens of thousands protesters rose up. In which case a civic action could claim it represents the entire population of the country? When all the men, women, the elderly, the infirm, and the unborn rise up so the government finally comes to senses? Even if a hundred young people’s bills were paid by somebody else, most, nonetheless, took to the streets—so it looked—not to waste their lives away sleeping on them, but because of high unemployment rate and hardships of life that would become more severe with the price hike that would for sure affect all spheres of their life. How accurate is it to say that the president’s administration represents 3 mln citizens of the Republic of Armenia? A substantial number of eligible voters—and I don’t want to delve into the contentious issue of falsifications of his both elections—didn’t give the president a vote of confidence. Even if the electoral outcome is correct—which I doubt—rarely throughout his presidency was Sargsyan popular amongst citizens of the Republic. I’d agree that Baghramian Avenue was illegally occupied. But then, again, if you, as people, are unable for decades to bring about peaceful regime change in the polling stations or through your representatives in the national parliament, what do you do?
Avery,
By intensely opposing the Cause of Armenia’s citizens in their struggle to overcome the wrongful, unjust policies of Sargsyan’s regime, just shows how enormously anti-Armenian you really are.
Nobody ever said that those protesters will decide the fate of Armenia. On the other hand, those protesters which numbered as high as fifteen thousand, were just a small portion of the vast majority of Armenia’s citizens who are firmly against Sargsyan’s foul regime.
Contrary to the absurdities being preached by you and your few fellow Sargsyan admirers, he does not represent the citizens of Armenia in any particular way. These citizens are enraged and fed up with his foul regime. This, of course, explains the reason why there is such a massive departure of Armenians from their homeland, which as a result, is shrinking Armenia’s population year after year.
As for the organizers of the “No to Plunder” protest, they left Bagramian Avenue, because they did not want to block the traffic any further. What does this have to do with disappearing? Did you foolishly expect them to permanently stay over there? Protests usually last no more than one day. This particular protest went full blast for over a week; and even after the organizers left Bagramian Avenue with many of the other protesters, there were still many who remained for another week. Anyway, these “No to Plunder” masters have a lot to feel good about, and have shown Sargyan’s foul, illegitimate regime that the citizens of Armenia will no longer tolerate his wrongful, unjust policies.
“5,000 protesters do not decide the fate of the country.”
The 5,000 – 10,000 are the ones who was willing to come out and protest. They’re not the only ones in the country who are dissatisfied.
John:
Thank you for the kind words.
I too have to commend you for your work debunking Anti-Armenian and Anti-Armenia disinformation.
And I have learned many new things from your posts (…e.g. I used your Jewish Bolsheviks list in a debate at another site).
Regarding criticism of RoA Gov.
When posters (not you) commenting on RoA Gov and Pres Sargsian dish out nothing but bile and criticism against Pres Sargsian and his administration, it is a little difficult for me to join the chorus: it is as if they have done nothing right.
I am well aware of what goes on in RoA: as aware as one can be without actually living there.
As noted before, I was born in Yerevan, and have close childhood friends and many blood and in-law relatives who live there now.
I also have relatives (both blood and by marriage) who were born in US and who repatriated to Armenia: they live there now.
Relatives and friends are all over socio-economic spectrum: less than middles class, middle class, a little above middle class.
So I get all sides of the story from a variety of people whom I personally know.
{“ But then, again, if you, as people, are unable for decades to bring about peaceful regime change in the polling stations or through your representatives in the national parliament, what do you do?”}
RPA and Pres Sargsian are no bed of roses: I know that quite well.
But who is to replace them ?
Maksim Sarkisian ?
Vaghinak Shushanian ?
Davit Sanasarian ?
I accept it is not healthy not to have a viable opposition: but who is there in RoA now ?
Prosperous ? it is an insult to our Great people that someone like Tsarukyan could create a political party (in reality his private club) and gain about ~30% vote of the Parliament. New leader Naira Zohrabyan is rational and intelligent. There are a couple of others in party leadership who are thoughtful and balanced. But there is neither the depth nor the breath there required to replace RPA.
Heritage ? the whole lot is insane, starting with their leader Mr. Hovannisian and the inimitable, screeching Ms. Postanjian.
ARF-RoA: I very much like the public faces of the party (Giro Manoyan, Armen Rustamyan,…): when they speak, you can tell there is a brain behind the mouth. They carefully measure the words they utter.
But ARF-RoA has never gotten traction with the public: they barely break 5% in Parliamentary elections.
For better or worse, RPA is the only rational, organized political party withe breath and depth necessary to govern Armenia.
There should be at least one more well organized, rational opposition political party, for a lot of healthy reasons
But again, who ?
This thread is about to go off trend.
I would like to continue exploring issues you raised (Presidential elections, the youth,….): like nothing better than to exchange thoughts with a rational person.
Possibly in a future relevant thread.
All true. However, you chose not to address the gist. Yes, maybe in a future relevant thread… Until then, have more confidence in your people.
“This thread is about to go off trend.
I would like to continue exploring issues you raised (Presidential elections, the youth,….): like nothing better than to exchange thoughts with a rational person.”
Avery, this is the ArmenianWeekly discussion forum. Pretty much all threads go off topic. This has never stopped you before :)
You are very prolific and expressive, and yet you’re shying away from this important topic which is affecting our brothers and sisters in Armenia.
Random:
Since you have been reading my prolific posts for quite some time, you should know by now that I do not shy away from anything or anyone.
A reminder: I was the one that relentlessly confronted the filthy scum Turk Necati who insulted your grandmother in the most vile manner.
Nobody did, including you, except me: I don’t know you or your grandmother. But when a denialist Turk insults the grandmother of someone who posts as [Random Armenian], emphasis on Armenian, I don’t give a rip who he or she is: I go to work.
I have kept [John]’s post handy.
When there is a relevant story @AW, I will address the gist of [John]’s concerns.
When an article goes off trend, most people stop reading the comments.
I don’t want to spend the time and effort to post a commentary that nobody but the AW moderator reads (….in most cases: there are exceptions).
Nevertheless, if [John] feels that I avoided answering his concerns and would like me to respond in that thread – I will do so.
Yerevanian, you keep regurgitating the same nonsense in every thread.
Avery,
“I am well aware of what goes on in RoA.”
If that were really true, then you wouldn’t be regurgitating the same nonsense in every thread about how the illegitimate, foul Sargsyan regime represents the interests of Armenia’s citizens, nor would you be foolishly preaching that Sargsyan’s Moscow-controlled Republican party is a “rational political party with breath and depth necessary to govern Armenia.” These “Republican party” mafiosos don’t even know what it means to govern a country. The only thing they’ve been doing up to now is fulfilling the orders of their mafia boss (Putin).