(en) Armenia, Yerevan, "Do not drive more with this
government no negotiations" (ru) [machine translation]
An interview with a group of anti-authoritarian leftist protesters in Yerevan. ---- Most
Russian observers - both liberal and pro-Kremlin - inscribe the event in Yerevan in a
familiar frame of permanent "Maidan", where specific requirements, by and large, have no
independent value, or inscribed in the logic of the big geopolitical confrontation between
Russia and the West. Is it so? ---- Initially it was a social protest. It was supposed to
raise tariffs by 40%, and the list of expenses "Electric Networks of Armenia" (ENA), which
became the cause of the accumulated debt was part payment of rent expensive cars to guide
the absurd spending on advertising networks and corporate services. This has caused
widespread discontent, May 20 people took to the streets to demand not to allow the tariff
increase. Despite this, the Commission on Regulation of Public Services of June 17,
decided to raise tariffs, but not at 40%, as previously thought, and by 16.7%. People at
that time had time to organize themselves and organize themselves sufficiently to not
agree to these conditions, and to continue to demand the preservation of former tariffs.
After the violent dispersal morning of June 23 protests acquired a political character.
The same evening, the streets were more than 10 thousand. Man. By the time it was a
protest not only against the looting and corruption (and for the abolition of the decision
to raise rates), but also against the police violence and arbitrariness of the authorities.
All this time the question of the TC, the EU, the Russian military bases has not been
discussed. There were no official statements, no slogans, directly or indirectly, to raise
these issues. The slogan "We are the masters of our country", which so enthusiastically
quoted in the Russian media, has long become a tradition of opposition actions - it
belongs to the Armenian authorities, but not to Russia.
At the same time interest on the part of liberal and pro-Kremlin Russian public is quite
understandable. One gets the impression that the events in Armenia, few people are
concerned about if they can not be used for political purposes.
Attention from foreign media caused a defensive reaction from the protesters, there was a
desire to do everything possible to be "properly understood" (which is pretty played into
the hands of local authorities). Anti-Russian rhetoric is now deliberately suppressed, as
well as pro-European. As a result, and so opportunistic untenable geopolitical agenda lost
its chance to exist.
Could you describe the composition of the protest?
Protests are massive. Many people come from other towns of Armenia, in Gyumri, Vanadzor,
Sisian runs parallel to the stock. In protest group represented a wide variety of
political views, from right-wing conservatives to the marginal anarcho-communists and
feminists. Right is still incomparable majority.
The coordinating group includes members of the far-right party "Ayazn" and political
movement "Constituent Assembly". In Armenia, in principle, no anti-authoritarian
experience of organizing mass protests, particularly so their methods do not cause much
discontent.
We can not say that the organizational group controls the whole course of the protests. It
is mainly engaged in communication with the police and journalists. However, in the
ambitions they do not give up. From time to time they make something like "public debate"
during which expressed their proposals to the speaker and use the support group, create
the appearance of consent. Sometimes, though, the crowd manages dokrichatsya or disagree
conclusive action.
Any substantive agenda no one. For all the good against the bad things, "No robbery",
"Serjik, go away" - and bored for a long time at the level of slogans. Periodically,
however, there are demands to nationalize the ESA.
As to date the debate about developing a strategy of movement - continue to insist on the
fulfillment of the requirements by the government or drive more with this government any
negotiations?
Continue to insist on the fulfillment of their demands, and the government did not carry
over this government no negotiations. Deputy police chief and police chief of Yerevan
several times offered the demonstrators to create a delegation for talks with the
president. Each time this proposal was rejected by the protesters. As long as the question
is that "nothing to discuss" Either the protests continue, or the president speaks on live
broadcast a statement on the cancellation of the decision and the preservation of the old
tariffs.
What role in the movement are now playing the left? How visible is your position and find
a response?
On one of the shares (19 June), it was an attempt to create an autonomous anarchist block,
handed out leaflets with the text of the statement. The same day, a few people from our
group were detained by police in civilian outside the Freedom Square, where there was a
picket (other detainees until the 22nd was not). All flags were confiscated.
The police was trying to set up abstract protesting anarchists who allegedly going to
withdraw the protest from the "framework of the law." A few times deputy police chief V.
Osipyan said warnings about possible provocations on the part of the anarchists.
Despite this, it managed to attract the attention of the field, and our position is
demanding the socialization of ESA got some distribution.
In Kiev, Baku, Tbilisi and Istanbul have been solidarity actions organized by local
leftist groups. It was an unprecedented event for us, internationalist solidarity.
Now we have on the agenda of democratization protest, grassroots advocacy and expansion of
the list of requirements: anti-colonial question and socialization of ESA.
