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Saturday, 20 February 2010

Armenia police 'in action' against opposition youth activists

Picture of the Day: Yerevan, Armenia, 19 February 2010, 2nd anniversary of presidential 'election'


*source of picture: ANC Youth Wing's Rally © PanARMENIAN Photo / Sedrak Mkrtchyan
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24 comments:

K said...

I can only say bravo to the these protesters and I wish I could have been there...

20 February 2010 at 20:04
me said...

you should probably put the word police in quotes as well. What a disgrace.

20 February 2010 at 21:19
Sedrak Mkrtchyan said...

The photo is taken out of context. There is no mentioning about the actions of the protesters, who provoked the clashes.

21 February 2010 at 08:15
artmika said...

Sedrak, as usual in case of similar incidents, sides blame each other for provoking it. Regardless, based on what I can see from this and many other pictures, video, media reports, eyewitness accounts, including yours, such displays of physical force by police were unacceptable and disproportionate, to say the least.

21 February 2010 at 14:15
Onnik Krikorian said...

Sedrak, I agree with Mika. Even in cases when protesters might be confrontational (and yes, I've seen opposition supporters like that here), the police are meant to react in a certain way that is not depicted in the photo.

Indeed, even if you disagree with the protesters, look what an image such an action from the police conveys.

If only for that reason, you should be interested in better police conduct. Oh, and btw: when instructed to, they can show restraint. However, they shouldn't have to be instructed to. They should be trained to.

But, as the second anniversary of 1 March approaches, someone had better tell them to use force only as a last resort. I don't think they did here although I would also say that the mood among some opposition supporters also leaves a lot to be desired.

But, then again, this is the police we're talking about here. This is the issue.

21 February 2010 at 23:37
Anonymous said...

"Organized hatred always defeats disorganised police"

23 February 2010 at 10:30
Ankakh_Hayastan said...

The monster in the police uniform is obviously enjoying himself. I have a feeling that the government has managed to create a structure fully staffed with sadists.

I am slowly coming to the conclusion that the only answer for a normal life people want to have is immigration.

23 February 2010 at 14:26
Anonymous said...

I like this stereotype: "The monster in the police uniform"

The advanced youth was shouting "F**K your mother" "son of the Turk", etc and the police was shouting "walk on sidewalks", "get out of the street"

Yeah, we have to kill this monster young policemen!!!!!!! unless they become nice saying, do whatever you want. I never thought that anarchism can become a new political discourse in Armenia.

Ah and journalists, why none asks oppositioners "why did you jammed traffick and continued your picket at crossroad?" and a question to policemen "why don't you act proffessional and announced with megaphone the illeaglity of action and its legal consequences?"

23 February 2010 at 16:25
Ankakh_Hayastan said...

Do you know what betrays that you are full of it, my Anonymous friend? Your expression

"Yeah, we have to kill this monster young policemen!!!!!!!"

reveals a deep-rooted hatred and tendency for violence that, quite remarkably, is the path of reasoning among those policemen, the different layers of the banditocracy and the apologists of the banditocracy like our friend Anonymous here.

23 February 2010 at 16:48
Anonymous said...

I was there and was surprised to the level of tolerance among police - which was unlimited. At the same time I saw the clear intention to provoke /read հունից հանել/ the police by the oppositioners.
Nazarian, It's hard to argue with you, the simple way is you to come to Armenia and see at least 1 such event.

23 February 2010 at 17:35
Anonymous said...

which was unlimited - which was not!

23 February 2010 at 17:44
K said...

I was not there this time. But've been taking part in nearly all public events in Yerevan and can state that only 5% of "Young Armenian Policemen" can be considered as true policemen, the remaining are terrorists with police dressing with their Bazaz Bin-Laden. If they had a permission to kill, they would not even think twice before doing so.

And, please don't pretend so naive while describing situations like this.

23 February 2010 at 17:59
Anonymous said...

////that only 5% of "Young Armenian Policemen" can be considered as true policemen ////

leaving aside the concept of true policemen, I would say that it depends on the stage of conflict. Yes our police is not-professional and less balanced at the later stage of escalation, when full provocation is in effect. And as I understand this very fact is used/abused by oppositioners.


///the remaining are terrorists with police dressing with their Bazaz Bin-Laden. If they had a permission to kill, they would not even think twice before doing so.///

leaving aside the concept of terrorist and while agreeing on Bazaz it should be mentioned that such generalization and labeling already is a sign of true potential provocator inside you during public events. So you meet enemies and foreigners and terrorists in streets. Such attitude is a source of hatred/anarchism/revolution or civil war.

23 February 2010 at 21:31
Onnik Krikorian said...

I've seen confrontation from both police and opposition and in the video I saw it doesn't look like the opposition were just having a peaceful stroll. It's also unclear what actually happened.

HOWEVER...

It doesn't matter. Like I said, I've seen the police lose control and this is the issue, and when they do lose control they do so big-time often in contradiction to the law.

What matters is that they are trained not to react. This is the same for all police forces, and in Armenia, this is especially important so that when they do lose it there is not a blood bath.

Minimum force applied correctly as a last resort. This is what all police forces need to be trained in so it's second nature regardless of any order given from above.

24 February 2010 at 07:31
K said...

re: Anonymous

Yes, my "friend" I'm a provocator. And yes, the milk is black!

Meaningless to argue with persons like you, who consider the word "tolerance" as a synonymous to the word "slavery".

As for the Armenian "Police" behavior:

Haven't you ever followed their brave "lawful" actions beforehand?

Haven't you ever noticed how courageously they "teach" people to be more "tolerant" to the actions of their bosses/masters (beat/arrest opposition activists)?

Haven't you ever heard how plain clothes "keep the public order" "working" with journalists and youth activists in the streets (attack, beat, then arrest)?

Haven't you ever seen how they protect the "good name" of their masters (go crazy when they hear their names, like corrida bulls when they see red color?

Haven't you ever heard how special forces "work" with people to "bring them back to the right way" (by torturing and the like)?

Haven't you ever seen how Armenian Prosecutors "protect" the rights of Armenian Citizens violated by the Armenian Police and other bodies (by "conceiving" them to take back their lawful claims)?

Have you ever heard of the above?

24 February 2010 at 08:38
Anonymous said...

Dear Քաղաքացի

1st, I see that you are angry.
2nd, my short answer to all your claims is yes,
but
3rd, it will never give me right to illegal actions, to provoke/escalate conflict,
4th I consider it normal that young people, usually students care/fight for freedom/anarchism and consider tolerance as slavery. It's in a very nature of the youth: they do pickets and clash with police in every corner of the world until they mature
however
5th, I consider it immoral to use youth's such values for political reasons. Ironically freedom fighters become slaves/instruments in political games.
6th, I consider it double immoral to engage in such activities the parents of killed people and teenagers/children.

24 February 2010 at 10:05
call me when you have finished my job said...

"I am slowly coming to the conclusion that the only answer for a normal life people want to have is immigration." Nazarian.

Hey Nazaryan - quit trying to rationalize your actions. You yelp from the sidelines, instead of engaging it to try and make a positive difference in Armenia. It is easy to mock everything associated with the authorities, encourage people to give up on the country's development, and expect everyone to make Armenia live up to your expectations. And when everyone is done doing all the hard work - whether they are in the government or the opposition - then you can waltz in from wherever you are and enjoy the fruits of their labor. Pathetic.

24 February 2010 at 17:13
Ankakh_Hayastan said...

Hey, jobless, I am glad that you retain your optimism. But I have a feeling you are not one of the people who has been abused by the police in Armenia.

24 February 2010 at 19:38
me said...

"it will never give me right to illegal actions, to provoke/escalate conflict"
In my view, ultimately, THIS is at the heart of the issue: in a country where law does not exist in practice, people are jailed and allowed to walk free on whim or based on the size of their wallets,where rampant corruption has brought every single institution meant to uphold laws and basic human rights to a standstill, what exactly is or should considered "illegal"?

24 February 2010 at 23:44
Anonymous said...

Mika,

Is there a chance u can find ur or any post about police confessing they used a sniper on March1,pls?

1 March 2010 at 09:28
artmika said...

I assume you mean these?

http://bit.ly/bSNh2U (parliament.am)

and

http://bit.ly/dxWZcy (US embassy report)

1 March 2010 at 23:51
Anonymous said...

Thanks a lot! ;-)

Yerevanum 'nkeruhi unem, vor erbek cher lsel sniperi masin ev cher havatum...

2 March 2010 at 01:08
Anonymous said...

Mika,
Baic kardalov da, konkret chi asvum, te sniper um koghmi c e eghel, ev verghum el nshvum e, vr sniper dzerqic e mahacel vostikan'...
Noric ;ndinutyan vra en bardum? Tchisht em haskanum? Qo tvatz araghi linkic em asum...

2 March 2010 at 03:10
artmika said...

Et arachin linkum shat kharn a amen inch grvats. Bayc de du harcnum eir "about police confessing they used a sniper", u pastoren ayntegh ayd confession-e ka. Te ov inchic mahacav, ayd khostovanutyunic parzel chi lini. Kareli e miayn entadrel...

Isk US embassy-i report-um (2rd linke) ayspes e grvats: "In mid- December the government confirmed that at least one of its snipers was present during the March 1-2 events, while denying that any of the 10 deaths were attributed to the sniper."

5 March 2010 at 00:13

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