Creeping revolution

In Yerevan, protests against raising energy tariffs said they did not intend to free Bagramyan Avenue in the city center and nominated the Ultimatum to the authorities, reports News-Armenia.

“If before 21:00 the next Monday (20:00 Moscow time) at least one of our requirements will not be fulfilled, then we will begin to carry out actions called“ Step forward ”: every day we will take a step closer to our barricades to the president’s residence,” the representative of the demonstrators David Sanasaryan said at the rally. As a barricade, protests use empty garbage tanks.

Demonstrators demand an annul in the decision to increase energy tariffs, reconsider the tariffs towards the decrease, and also hold the police who applied violence during the dispersal of the demonstration on June 22.

Mass protests began throughout Armenia, after on June 17, the Armenian public services regulation commission increased the electricity tariff in the country by 6.93 drama ($ 0.015) per 1 kilowatt-hour. The company itself demanded to raise prices even higher - by 17 drams.

This decision led to spontaneous demonstrations in Yerevan and other cities. A sedentary demonstration began in Yerevan on June 19. On June 22, protesters moved to the Presidential Palace . The police did not miss them, and then the demonstrators blocked Bagramyan Avenue. The police brutally dispersed the protesters. 237 people were detained.

On June 23, the demonstrators again tried to go to the Presidential Palace. This time the police also blocked their way, but there was no dispersal. The protests continued in the second largest city in Armenia - Gyumri, and also began in other cities .

On June 26, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan following a meeting with the Minister of Transport of Russia, the co-chairman of the Armenian-Russian intergovernmental commission, Maxim Sokolov, said that an audit would be held in the "electric networks of Armenia". He also said that the case of the murder by the Russian soldier-world Valery Permykov seven people in Gyumri was transferred to the Armenian side . Earlier, Russia refused to issue the accused, referring to its constitution.

On June 27, Sargsyan promised that the government would assume all the costs associated with raising electricity tariffs until he gets the results of the audit of the company "Electric Networks of Armenia". The head of state explained that this will go on funds that initially allocated for safety.

On June 30, the initiative group "No robbery" announced the termination of an unlimited action . At the same time, part of the protesters stated that she would remain on Bagramyan Avenue.

On July 2, the demonstrators did not allow the action to join the former Soviet dissident, the leader of the party "National Self -Definition" Paruir Ayrikyan and his associates. They came with the flags of the European Union , which caused the discontent of the rally participants.

“This is a deliberate provocation. A rally is held here, which is not connected either with the EU or Russia. This is the movement of the Armenian citizen,” Sanasaryan said. Under the whistle and chanting, “go away” Ayrikyan with his associates left the central part of the avenue.