The procession led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, leader of the Diocese of Tavush, which started in Kirants village of the Tavush region on May 4, reached Yerevan yesterday. The basis of the “Tavush for the Homeland” movement is its opposition to the border demarcation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which is planned to start with land concessions in Tavush. A massive crowd of people from different regions of Armenia and the Diaspora gathered in Republic Square in central Yerevan to welcome the marchers. The people of Artsakh, who were displaced from their homeland last September, also stood up, this time for Tavush. Artsakh students shared their reasons for participating with the Weekly.
“Artsakh was surrendered…My friends and I now gather to prevent the surrender of Armenia.”
Anna Vahanyan, now a student in Vanadzor and a year ago at Artsakh State University, went to Republic Square to express her disapproval of the border demarcation process. “I can’t think that we have handed over Artsakh and that’s it. Armenia is my homeland. I am against the handing over of new territories,” she said. 21-year-old Vahanyan is from Nerkin Horatagh village of Martakert region. During the conversation, she remembered this exact day last year. “One year ago, on May 9, we were in Stepanakert’s Renaissance Square, proud that we keep Artsakh Armenian, but Artsakh was surrendered…My friends and I now gather to prevent the surrender of Armenia.” Having traveled to Yerevan from Vanadzor to participate in the rally, Vahanyan carried the Artsakh flag on her shoulders.
Diana Manasyan, a student at Yerevan State University from the Martuni region of Artsakh, went to Republic Square with six members of her 11-person family. She was brought by the hope of returning to her homeland, Artsakh, but above all by the ideals of national unity and reconciliation. Manasyan, now living in Ptghni, appealed to the people and especially the youth. “Please think about our motherland. Now we need unity,” she said.
Arpine Hambardzumyan, who studies at Yerevan State University, joined the movement with the hope of returning to Artsakh and not seeing Armenia divided. 20-year-old Hambardzumyan is from the village of Avetaranoz in the Askerani region and was displaced in September 2023. Hambardzumyan, now living in Yerevan, said, “Artsakh students have already felt leaving their homeland, home and the grave of a relative on their skin…I want all of Armenia to be here. As Bagrat Srpazan says, ‘Spiritual Armenia will win over the new Armenia.’”
“I don’t want my next generation to be a continuation of the defeated generation.”
Mary Minasyan, who came to Armenia from Artsakh after the 2020 war, has been participating in the “Tavush for the Homeland” movement since its early days. The 22-year-old took part in awareness campaigns in Yerevan before the march reached Yerevan. Minasyan, a student at Yerevan State University, hopes that this time the movement will win. “If we unite, we will definitely win,” she said. The reason for her decision to join is clear: “I don’t want my next generation to be a continuation of the defeated generation.”
Actions of civil disobedience continue today, which also include strikes.
Ani Ghevondyan
Latest posts by Ani Ghevondyan (see all)
- Artsakh students stand with Tavush - May 10, 2024
- Celebrating International Women’s Day with inspiring stories from Armenia - March 8, 2024
God Bless our patriots of Armenia, who are witness to a collaborationist government that is ceding territories that have been established since the dissolve of the old soviet union, as many refer to the soviet maps of 1933. It is time for all us STAND-UP and be a voice in support for the grass roots movement that is taking shape in the homeland.
Seeing Artsakh vanish before our eyes, by international pressures brought on to the people of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabagh. The culprit on who gifted holy lands is clear, now it is time to clean house and get the vermin that run this government out, and bring one that will adhere to elements found in the Armenian Constitution.
I am in full support of this movement, and would like the entire diaspora become engaged as well. Divide and conquer was the means to create divisions in Armenia, but with every soul uniting along the idea of a spiritual Armenia, Good will conquer Evil.
God Speed my fellow compatriots!
More proof that Nikol and Nikol’s treasonous actions are due to American machinations:
Oragir.News is awaiting clarification from the US Ambassador, Zuckerberg and law enforcement agencies.
The social network Facebook deletes posts with the name Bagrat Srbazan. Let us note that Bagrat Srbazan is now at the center of political events. The attention of the public is riveted to him. He is the leader of the people’s movement. Naturally, it should have a place on social network pages. However, this logic doesn’t seem to work.
The social network Facebook deleted several posts on the Oragir.News Facebook page that mentioned the name of Saint Bagrat Srbazan. The same picture is on the pages of other media. The pages of some media outlets were blocked, presumably due to the dissemination of information about anti-government protests. Is this cybercrime, a campaign against democracy, or a new Facebook tactic?
Facebook is an American company. The movement, led by Bagrat Srbazan, enjoys broad public support. Tens of thousands of citizens take part in the rallies. The demonstrations are peaceful, without calls for violence. People exercise their civil rights within the framework of democratic norms. Therefore, reasonable suspicions arise. If an American company deletes posts containing the name of Bagrat Srbazan and blocks pages, would they be contrary to US national interests? What contradiction does Bagrat Srbazan’s movement have with the interests of the United States?
Perhaps after America’s official response, many citizens will reconsider their participation and support for the movement. And if Bagrat Srbazan is not an anti-democratic, anti-civilization, anti-American figure, terrorist, Wagnerian, Taliban, North Korean, then on what basis does Facebook delete or block posts and pages containing his name?
There is an assumption that Facebook considers posts containing the name of the leader of democratic peaceful demonstrations intolerant, dangerous and removes them without instructions from the United States.
In this case, Facebook’s actions are reprehensible from the point of view of human rights and democracy. And local and international human rights organizations, defenders and defenders of democracy should condemn Facebook’s anti-democratic steps and urge it not to criminalize freedom of speech.
Most likely, the campaign against publications with the name of Bagrat Srbazan on Armenian Facebook is organized by the KP fake factory. In this case, there is another assumption that the KP fake factory dictates the tactics of Facebook and Facebook is guided not by Western values, US national interests, or the instructions of Mark Zuckerberg, but by the ideas of the KP. Failure to dispel this shameful suspicion could damage the reputation of Facebook and the United States.
And if we discard political content, then organized attacks on the pages of Armenian users can be characterized as a cybercrime, to which law enforcement officers are obliged to respond adequately so that users at least understand who is deleting them. your posts.
In short, Oragir.News is awaiting clarification from the US Ambassador, Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg and the RA law enforcement agencies regarding the increasing attacks on the Oragir.News Facebook page and many Armenian pages in recent days. After receiving these clarifications, Oragir.News will decide how to protect its rights.
© ORAGIR.NEWS https://oragir.news/hy/material/2024/05/11/116585
Bagrat Srbazan’s sudden and unexpected rise as a major political opposition leader in Armenia is miraculous. Bishop Bagrat may actually be Armenia’s last hope. After six years of Western and Turkish financed nightmare in Armenia, there may actually be some hope.