#SaveMashtotsPark

CivilNet.tv has footage of May 29’s violence in Mashtots...

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 02:53:00 +0500

CivilNet.tv has footage of May 29’s violence in Mashtots Park. Once more, the protesters’ attempt to place a tent was faced with police violence, this time - with open beatdowns and injured protesters.

The protesters did not respond to the violence.

Arrested protesters have been released thanks to the actions of jurists among the activists and the intervention of Armenian Revolutionary Federation party’s MPs.

Violence and arrests in Mashtots Park

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 17:11:00 +0500

Police has used violence against us again, arrested six activist and one dismantling brigade member.

Names of the arrested activists (may be more information more):

Brigade member arrested:

Armen Hovhannisyan

Tens of activists injured.

Please, come to Mashtots park to support us if you can, or at least spread this message.

For angry copyright dudes from Wikipedia

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:26:12 +0500

Yep, this blog published photos from Mashtots Park Movement made by SongOfFall (originally published on his Google+ profile) - the Wikipedia contributor working on the Mashtots Park Movement article - as well as other contributors.

If SongOfFall has decided to use the photographs he made on Wikipedia - he has every right to do so freely.

Let’s hope the conflict is resolved,

Cheers.

70 days of Mashtots Park Movement in one video. By Arman...

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 02:44:19 +0500

70 days of Mashtots Park Movement in one video. By Arman Yaralyan.

“When the self-conscious citizen is born, the oligarchy...

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:26:28 +0500

“When the self-conscious citizen is born, the oligarchy dies. Today in Mashtots park, the self-conscious citizen is burying the oligarchy”.

Earth day was celebrated by the Mashtots park activists by...

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:24:03 +0500

Earth day was celebrated by the Mashtots park activists by double action - the burial of Oligarchy and a protest in supporting the fight for Teghut forest.

First - the burial.

Trees being uprooted in Mashtots park.

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 20:25:53 +0500

Trees being uprooted in Mashtots park.

Under the guise of improving the park, authorities have been...

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:43:00 +0500

Under the guise of improving the park, authorities have been demolishing the concrete and stone structure of the park. This is the scenario they used while flattening the right wing of the park.

The activists stopped them at the moment of destroying the small basin. Stopped them without physical conflict. The police was… explaining the breaches of law (for example, the noise and dust under the windows of the maternity clinic - “there have been worse noises there”, a police lieutenant has replied).

Security officers of “ACP” have beaten up five boys...

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:29:18 +0500

Security officers of “ACP” have beaten up five boys from Teghut because of… dust?

This is the moment when the villagers should understand that #SaveTeghutForest activists are trying to protect them and their future, and not the oligarchs trying to destroy the forest for the sake of a mine.

An open letter to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:53:12 +0500

Peace to you.

I would like to send my salutations to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, who is well known and respected in Buddhist and other spiritual communities of Armenia.

This is a plea for support and guidance for the eco-activists in Mashtots park, Yerevan, Armenia, who have been fighting for their rights and the nature of Armenia - facing police violence and harsh weather conditions, they have stood their ground for about three months and practiced complete non-violence and cared for every living being in the park, including the police officers.

Your word of support and prayers would lift our spirits and your advice would help us to stay true.

With due respect and adoration,

Bayandur Pogosyan.

P.S. #SaveMashtotsPark movement is neither political nor nationalistic in nature. More information can be obtained in our English-language blog - http://savemashtotspark.tumblr.com

Attempting to dismantle - bit by bit, stone by stone.

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 02:33:13 +0500

Attempting to dismantle - bit by bit, stone by stone.

As a part of cultural events supporting #SaveMashtotsPark...

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:57:59 +0500

As a part of cultural events supporting #SaveMashtotsPark movement, “Hover” choir performed yesterday (9th of April, 2012) in Mashtots park. The program included a-Capella renditions of both classical and popular pieces of music.

We thank “Hover” for their amazing performance and their support for our cause.

"There is a force that is bigger than the government, and that is the power of the people coming..."

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:53:18 +0500

“There is a force that is bigger than the government, and that is the power of the people coming together and work as one. This is why we’re feared.”

- Anonymous (via youranonnews)

Ani Batikyan played a concert in Mashtots park on 6th of April,...

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 20:49:42 +0500

Ani Batikyan played a concert in Mashtots park on 6th of April, 2012. Here is an excerpt from the concert where she’s playing “Krunk” by Komitas.

We thank Ani both for her wonderful music and her support for our cause.

Environmental Conference / April 10th, 13:30-18:00 at Congress hotel

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 20:25:00 +0500

View Larger Map

The destruction of nature and ineffective usage of natural resources in Armenia has reached unprecedented levels during the last few years - new mines are opened, “legal” and illegal logging won’t stop, the pollution of soil reaches disastrous rates, the water basin gets “richer” with different pollutants etc. It can’t go on this way, so systematic and fundamental changes in the environmental sphere are necessary.

Goal: The goal of the conference is to present the most urgent environmental problems of the RA to the society and propose realistic solutions to the situation.
As an option of coming out of the situation we also propose discussing the creation of a social inspection/monitoring body in the environmental sphere and a special environmental fund, which can become effective tools for solving the current environmental problems and the rational development of the country’s economy.

Place: Congress Hotel, Italia st. 1, Yerevan, Armenia
Ceremonies hall

Day, hour: April 10th, 13:30-18:00

Format: 15-minute speeches are planned, with 15-minute question-answer session following each. Some speeches will also be followed by 20-minute breaks.

Topics: The most spheres in most urgent and critical state were selected (the schedule also included):

Mining
Urban development
Forests
Water pollution
Biodiversity: special protected areas

“Trchkan” civic initiative

Attend our event on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/events/353465528038352/
Join our group on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/206773119400969/

Schedule
The conference will be hosted by Gagik Sukhudyan and Apres Zohrabyan.

13:30-13:45
Registration of participants.

13:45–14:00
Conference opening speech
Apres Zohrabyan
“Trchkan” civic initiative

14.00-14.15
“Right to Live” book presentation by the author
Arlen Shahverdyan (author)

14.15-14.30
Mining Waste
Hakob Sanasaryan
Armenian Greens Union

14.30-14.45
Question-answer session

14.45-15.00
Yerevan: urban development risks
Karine Danielyan
“For Stable Human Development” association

15.00-15.15
Question-answer session

15.15-15.30
The ecological risks of mining industry
Armen Saghatelyan
Ecologonoospheric research center

15.30-15.45
Question-answer session

15.45-16.20
Coffee break

16.20-16.35
The pollution of the water resources in the RA
Qnarik Hovhannisyan
Hydrologist, independent expert

16.35-16.50
Question-answer session

16.50-17.05
The current state of forests in the RA
Ani Haykuni
“Hayastan-Tsaratunk” project

17.05-17.20
Question-answer session

17.20-17.35
Biodiversity: special protected areas
Karen Manvelian
World Wide Fund for Nature, Armenian branch

17.35-17.50
Question-answer session

17.50-18.00
Summary: conclusions
Arman Vermishyan
“Trchkan” civic initiative

‘Karin’ Ensemble Head Gagik Ginosyan joined to...

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:56:48 +0500

‘Karin’ Ensemble Head Gagik Ginosyan joined to public figures who are not indifferent to the problem of Mashtots Park. “Fair fight for their rights leads to the fact that people are willing to protect their right. If every citizen will protect his/her rights, the number of problems in Armenia will significantly get decreased, while solutions will be found by themselves,’ ‘Karin’ head thinks. When ‘EcoLur’ asked him whether their ensemble is ready to dance here, in Mashtots Park, after the liberation of this territory, Gagik Ginosyan said, ‘It’s painful that we have to use in our country ‘liberation’ term. ‘Karin’ Ensemble dances everywhere, as we have a mission – to disseminate our national culture. ‘Karin’ Ensemble is ready to dance not only after ‘liberation,’ but anywhere so as to establish our culture.’

An open letter to the ambassador of the OSCE Office in Yerevan

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 16:38:00 +0500

To Mr. Andrey Sorokin

Ambassador of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, office in Yerevan

64/1 Sundukyan Street
0012 Yerevan
Armenia

An open letter concerning OSCE’s position on the processes in Mashtots park Yerevan

Excellency,

Considering that one of the main goals of OSCE is the development of democratic institutions, we would like to bring to your attention flagrant human rights violations taking place in Mashtots park Yerevan. We strongly disagree with OSCE representatives’ assessment of police actions concerning protests in the park. The police has broken the law and violated fundamental rights for peaceful protests numerous times, especially during the “Dismantling” of the tent placed in the park. This is presented in detail in the statement of the Human Rights defender of RA and in the statements of our civic initiatives; we have also reported the criminal action to the General Prosecutor’s office and the Special Investigation Service of RA.

Following the responses of your office to the ongoing protests in the park, we believe that OSCE did not adequately assess and condemn violations of human rights and freedoms. On the contrary, an attempt is made to justify illegal actions of the RA Police.

We call upon you and other establishments and representatives of OSCE to revise the evil practice when inadequate and careless statements or decisions of an establishment or representative catalyze power structures’ violence against the society members. This happened after the presidential elections of 2008, when the first preliminary statement of OSCE/ODIHR gave an opportunity of using inadequate force, which brought to tragic results. The OSCE/ODIHR has its share of responsibility for it.

We are also aware that your office has been performing various programs with the police and Yerevan municipality, which aim at professional development and improved governance skills of these institutions and their employees. The events around Mashtots park demonstrate that those programs have not been effective and both institutions have failed meeting the expected results of accountable and transparent governance.

Based on OSCE mandate, the problems concerning democratic governance, Armenia’s performance of its international obligations, access to justice and environmental protection should be directly discussed with the civic society, too.

Sincerely,

“Save Teghut” civic initiative

“This City Belongs to Us” civic initiative

“Our City” civic-social initiative

30.03.2012թ.

P. S. A copy of this letter is sent to:
OSCE Secretariat
Wallnerstrasse 6
1010 Vienna
Austria

Press and information support mobilization plan

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 11:52:08 +0500

Propose the media, independent journalists, bloggers who wish to raise their voices in support of Mashtots park movement register with us to help us better coordinate the media coverage, create mailing-lists and pass on materials, allow registered press to use materials created by the activists freely etc.

They will be given a «Friend of Mashtots park» badge which they can use in their websites and printed publication both as a medal for their contribution in the Mashtots park movement and a way to express their support.

The plan is open to discussion both for the activists and media representatives.

Bayandur Pogosyan, writer, independent journalist.

(A report on the dismantling - a bit later) After the...

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 11:03:41 +0500

(A report on the dismantling - a bit later)

After the dismantling brigade decided to start a 24-hour vigil in Mashtots park, the protesters decided to support them with a 24-hour sit-in. Once again the police banned the placing of tents in spite of heavy rain and cold. The Human Rights Defender of RA Karen Andreasian appeared on the scene, stated that a tent was a necessary and not forbidden equipment for a sit-in to the highest-ranked police officer present - the vice-prefect of Yerevan Robert Melkonian. Robert Melkonian said that he didn’t care about what law said about tents and that the ban on tents was his personal order.

The protesters made an attempt to place the tent nevertheless, the police tried to isolate and arrest the person with the tent, and the situation was about to escalate into a full-fledged conflict between the police and the protesters, if not for the determination of the protesters to keep the protest peaceful. Later the protesters discovered a full platoon of special forces that had appeared on the territory of the park. Under the protesters’ shouts “shame!” and the sights of the cameras the special forces withdrew and tried to throw stones at the cameramen.

Finita la comedia.

Civil Rights or Breach of Law?: By NAZIK...

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 10:17:39 +0500

Civil Rights or Breach of Law?:

By NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
ArmeniaNow

Over a hundred and fifty environmental activists, public figures and citizens have gathered in Mashtots park, downtown Yerevan, to dismantle, as promised earlier, the stalls against the construction of which they have been protesting for a few weeks. With loud calls “The Park is ours”, “Green, clean Armenia” and claims that they are only exercising their civil rights, the activists refuse to obey the police (which outnumber them and are on stand-by to interfere if necessary). Among others several opposition Heritage Party members have joined the protest; people in green outfits and yellow caps are the brigade responsible to do the dismantling. The number of protestors is, reportedly, growing.