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    “This is not a Maydan, but Baghramyan” – Electricity protests in Yerevan

    06 July 2015 - Okunma Sayısı: 2100

    Tens of thousands of people in the evening of 22 June took the Baghramyan Street in Yerevan, where the residence of President Serzh Sargsyan is located, as a sign of disagreement with the increase in electricity tariffs. The protest emerged as a strong reaction to the decision, taken on 17 June, to increase electricity tariff from the 1st of August on more than 16%. The situation escalated on early morning, 23th of June, when police used the water cannon against the demonstrators. Contrary to the expectations of the authorities, this action not only failed to disperse the crowd, but increased people desire and readiness to go until their demands are met. Approximately 230 demonstrators were arrested; some journalists became victims of the brutal treatment by police. The demonstrators did not leave the Baghramyan Street even at night – people were dancing, singing the songs, distributing food for free, sleeping in the street. Some Turkish, Georgian, and Azerbaijani activists were supporting the #ElectricYerevan protest, by sending the photos with the famous hashtag. After one week of non-stop demonstrations the Armenian authorities announced their decision – to invite independent auditing company with international observer, in order to analyze the components of electricity prices and to assess the justification for tariff increases. The audit results should be fully transparent to everyone. It is important that the inspection authorities have offered to compensate for the difference in price. In case if the auditors consider raising tariffs justified, the citizens will pay for the electricity according to new tariffs.

    Unfortunately, the Russian media had set its own perception on the electric’ demonstrations in Yerevan. The peaceful protest in Baghramyan was interpreted as ‘the new emerging Maydan protest’, what gave a rise to various media publications and reportages, dedicated to the bringing the parallel lines between Yerevan and Kiev. Russian journalists distorted the reality, by describing the demonstrators as ‘armed and violent protestors’. The protestors themselves harshly criticized any similar comparison, claiming, that their protest is exclusively representing an action of social riot, and all attempts to politicize it are deprived from the reality and rationality.

    Doubtless, that the increased and frequent cases of corruption in the Russian companies, as well as recent incident in Gyumri, Armenia, when the 18-years old Russian soldier had deserted from the Russian base and murdered the whole family, including young children, are contributing to the increase of dissatisfaction with Russia’s strong influence over Armenia. The fact that the “Electric Networks of Armenia” are managed by the Russians is an additional catalysator of the Armenians’ displacement. Nevertheless, to politicize the social riot in Armenia and misinterpret it as a riot against Russia by categorizing situation according to ‘Maydan’ or ‘non-Maydan’ is leading to the geopolitical determinism, where all events are perceived within the ‘West-Russia’ confrontation – the political analyst Sergey Markedonov mentioned.

    Russia is a number one strategically important partner of Armenia, - it possess military contingent on the territory of Armenia, the countries are strengthening the ties within the Custom Union framework, what makes the mutual connections strong and undeniable, and even the Armenian opposition understands it well. It is another question that ongoing social and economic disturbances in Armenia may provoke new protests, this time escalating with new power and determination.

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