ArmeniaNow: Opposition Rally Dispersal Reports

ArmeniaNow has comprehensive reports from the scene of today’s dispersal of the opposition occupation of Yerevan’s Liberty Square in protest at the 19 February presidential election in Armenia. According to one report plans to disperse the makeshift camp were known to protesters at 5am, some two hours before the police operation began.

At 6am, police could be seen moving in to position. Ter-Petrossian reportedly requested demonstrators to remain calm, but ArmeniaNow says that some started to “take up rocks and sticks” before police moved in to the area.

The site remained quiet until about 9 a.m., but as news spread and spectators came to the area, skirmishes with police broke out. ArmeniaNow witnesses saw pools of blood on nearby sidewalks and police using electric shock devices and beating people with clubs. Photographers were chased from the area and at least one video-camera operator was seen being beaten. Some people were chased several blocks from the scene.

As of this hour, police and special forces appear to be expanding the perimeter and have closed off streets several blocks around the square.

Reports say that Ter-Petrosyan was taken to his home by President Robert Kocharyan’s head of security.

One opposition supporter and member of Ter-Petrossian’s campaign team, Aramazd Ghalamkaryan (Manukyan), gives another account of events, however.