Organized Protest

What is this controversy I speak of? Armenian protesting something other than Genocide??

So, when the government decided to build the area around Northern Avenue they had to tear down everything that was there before, i.e., people's houses. People were paid a few thousand dollars and told to vacate by a certain time period- typical government procedure. This led to a lot of frustration, anger, and bitterness amongst the populace- and understandably so. Well today, the government wants to expand the area around Northern Avenue, to beautify a larger area of Yerevan- meaning the need to tear down more houses and buildings. Although they  approach the issue in a different way now, with lawyers and contracts, the premise is still the same. However, for these new buildings the government has promised to allow people to move back in once construction is complete. It seems pretty fair on the surface, but only time will tell. After years of disillusionment people are wary of everything- they want to take all they can get. That's why all of the older buildings in the vicinity have SOS signs hanging from their balconies- as a sign of solidarity, and a vociferous protest against government injustice.

Yerevan has been a hotbed of political activity this past year, especially after the elections in March. People camped out for days in opera house, protesting the results of the election- and as a result scores of people were jailed.  Now every week, protesters gather around Hyusisayin Poghota and perform peaceful demonstrations- nothing can keep them away, rain or shine. The entire surrounding area becomes one big traffic jam and cops close down the streets to keep the unrest at bay.

I never really thought Armenian's cared enough about anything (other than Genocide) to go out and protest. It makes me proud to see that people are now willing to stand up for what they believe in and sacrifice their own well-being for a greater purpose. Kudos...

(Images from top: the view from my balcony at work-protesters gathering in the rain, protesters and police, police officers blockading the street, the ratio of police to protestors 2:1)