Rally in Liberty Square followed by procession to Baghramyan Avenue

Hundreds of people gathered in Liberty Square in Yerevan on Wednesday evening to support the disarmed Sasna Tsrer group (Daredevils of Sassoon).   

The demonstrators were chanting "Sasna Tsrer" and demanded immediately releasing the members of the group. The speakers at the rally were criticizing the leadership of the country and the current socio- economic situation, demanding a power shift.     

76-year-old citizen Ashot Petrosyan, who has been on a hunger strike since yesterday, also made a speech.  Like the other speakers, he also demanded that Serzh Sargsyan should resign and the Sasna Tsrer group members should be set free. 

A former member of the Armenian National Movement, Ashot Manucharyan, unexpectedly approached the platform and said that the Armenian people worldwide are ruled by Liberty Square, not "by presidents, prime ministers or parliament speakers". "Both the world community and the superpowers take into account the opinion of Liberty Square rather than presidents, parliament speakers or prime ministers.  Everybody in the world, including Obama and Putin, must see that Armenian people are in Liberty Square again," Manucharyan said. He stressed that if Liberty Square brings enough people together, Sasna Tsrer member Pavel Manukyan will stop his hunger strike and Serzh Sargsyan will have to carry out the people's will. Manucharyan also called on the Armenian people to join forces and gather in Liberty Square. 

Afterwards, leader of Democratic Fatherland Party Petros Makeyan took the floor. He said that Armenia has become something like "before and after" July 17 (the day Sasna Tsrer seized the Patrol Guard Service building).  

Shahen Harutyunyan, the son of Shant Harutyunyan, who was arrested for the attempted forcible power shift, expressed his discontent with the fact that the rally organizers tried to hinder his speech and to find out what he was going to speak about. "I will speak about what I am thinking about. I think a peaceful fight gives no results in Armenia. All those who call for a peaceful fight are humiliated by the authorities and imprisoned," he said, noting that an armed fight is the best possible option in Armenia.       
After the rally, the demonstrators decided to march along the central streets of Yerevan (Abovyan Street, Amiryan Street, Mashtots Avenue) towards Baghramyan Avenue, where the Armenian President's palace is located. The demonstrators asked the police to ensure their safety in the course of the procession.