Protests in Armenia (2015)

In the media, protests appear under different names.

In The Guardian and Twitter , the title #ElectricYerevan ^{[6] [7] [8]} was used to cover protests and comment on events. The Russian and Ukrainian media compared the protests in Armenia with the protests in Ukraine (2013-2014) and called it “Elektromaydan” ^{[9] [10]} , the Russian media also found “Energomaydan” ^[11] and “The revolution of outlets” ^[12] . The protesters themselves pointed out that the events had nothing to do with Euromaidan in Ukraine (see photo).

On June 9, 2015, Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan stated that electricity in Armenia would rise in price by 6.93 drams (16%). This conclusion was reached by the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) of Armenia. On June 12, hearings on this issue were held at the National Assembly of Armenia .

Experts noted that initially Electric Networks of Armenia CJSC, which is a 100% subsidiary of the Russian Inter RAO , proposed increasing the daily tariff to 58.93 drams per 1 kW × hour of electricity instead of 41.85 drams, and the night tariff up to 48.93 drams instead of 31.85 drams (1 US dollar = 473 drams). Thus, it was proposed to increase the daily rate by 40%, the night - by 53.6%. The company has accumulated a debt of $ 250 million. Accusations of embezzlement and poor management have been repeatedly addressed to “Electric Networks of Armenia” ^[13] .

For the residents of Armenia, this was the third increase in the price of electricity over the past few years (in 2013 it rose by about a third) .

The PSRC meeting on raising electricity tariffs was scheduled for June 17. On the same day, the student union of the ARF “Nikol Aghbalyan” held a protest in front of the PSRC building. Protesters called on PSRC to stop the meeting and freeze electricity tariffs. According to the participants of the action, in case of raising tariffs, the population of Armenia will be forced to cover the debts of Electric Networks of Armenia CJSC. The protesters held placards with the following content: “Robbery at 365 million drams for luxury cars”, “Robbery at 381 million drams for expensive apartments”, “Robbery at 161 million drams for phone calls”. Representatives of “Nikola Agbalyan” also made an attempt to partially block the carriageway ^[14] .

According to the police, near the PSRC building in Yerevan on June 17, 6 protesters were detained against the rise in price of electricity ^[15] . Protesters threw eggs and tomatoes in protest at the building; there was a skirmish between policemen and activists ^[16] .

PSRC approved the application of Electric Networks of Armenia CJSC on increasing tariffs. According to the decision, from August 1, the daily electricity tariff for the population in Armenia increased by 16% - from 41.85 to 48.78 drams per 1 kW of electricity ^[17] .

By June 19, protests covered, in addition to Yerevan, the cities of Gyumri and Vanadzor . Several thousand people took part in the Gyumri rally. At Gyumri Theater Square, protesters stated that they did not intend to pay the debts accumulated by Electric Networks of Armenia CJSC, and if the decision to increase the price was not canceled, they would raise the issue of the government’s resignation ^[18] .

On the same day in Yerevan, about 6,000 people gathered for another protest rally on Freedom Square . The protesters promised to move to the presidential administration in the event that the PSRC decision of June 17 is not canceled ^[19] . Two protesters were detained ^[20] .

Since June 20, the action has acquired the character of a sit-in . Protesters set up tents on Freedom Square ^[21] . The slogans against raising electricity tariffs and corruption were supplemented by requirements to nationalize the energy sector of Armenia ( Electric Networks of Armenia CJSC is 100% owned by the Russian company Inter RAO ) ^{[22] [23]} .

On the morning of June 23, police dispersed the protesters in the center of Yerevan, using water cannons against them ^[24] . 237 participants of the Yerevan rally were detained, among them the journalists of “Gali”, “ Radio Liberty ”, news.am and other media. A criminal case has been instituted against detainees on the grounds of an article of hooliganism . 7 protesters were injured of varying severity ^[25] , and 11 policemen were injured ^[2] . During the dispersal of the rally in Gyumri, 12 people were detained ^[3] .

On the same day, the opposition parliamentary faction of the Armenian National Congress criticized the actions of the police and left the parliament in protest ^[2] .

On the evening of June 23, the protest rally resumed ^[26] . About 10,000 people gathered at Freedom Square in Yerevan. The protesters were outraged by the brutality of the police and demanded the release of activists detained on the same morning ^[27] , the government responded with the release of more than two hundred people who were reportedly interrogated as witnesses ^[28] . By 22:00, the number of protesters in Freedom Square reached 20,000. Also, barricades of garbage cans were built to defend against police water cannons in the event of a repeated dispersal of the demonstration ^[29] .

The protesters in Yerevan, gathered on Freedom Square, moved towards the residence of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan . Several thousand people came to the march ^[30] .

The protesters in Yerevan were supported by several current and former deputies, as well as representatives of the Armenian show business. Politicians and cultural figures stood in a living chain between policemen and demonstrators on Baghramyan Avenue ^[31] .

Toward night, protests continued at Theater Square in Gyumri and Artsakh Park in Vanadzor, gathering approximately 1,000 and 400 participants, respectively ^[32] .

On June 24, the Armenian press reported that the decision to increase electricity tariffs would be canceled ^[33] . However, this information was refuted by the PSRC spokeswoman Mariam Stepanyan. She stated that her representatives did not consider her decision wrong. Stepanyan added that PSRC members make decisions after lengthy discussions and the commission’s actions are economically justified. She also stated that the commission is not responsible for the social situation in the country ^[34] .

Also on June 24, protesters from Charentsavan joined the demonstrators in Yerevan and headed to the capital by car ^[35] . In addition to Yerevan, Gyumri and Vanadzor, protests began in the cities of Ashtarak and Abovyan ^[36] . Protesting Armenians called on the inhabitants of the country to join them, and every day from 21:00 to 22:00 turn off the lights and all electrical appliances in their homes. Thus, they want to inflict economic damage on “Electric Networks of Armenia”, which requested a tariff increase ^[37] .

Political scientist Grant Melik-Shahnazaryan notes that the Armenian expert community and the blogosphere are annoyed by attempts by foreign media, especially Russian and Ukrainian, to politicize social protest in Armenia ^[38] . The Regnuma bureau in Yerevan called the attempts of a number of Russian media to link the protests in Armenia and Euromaidan “paranoid publications” ^[39] .

On June 25, Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan announced a decision to pay compensation to poor families in connection with the rise in price of electricity. “After consulting with the President of Armenia, we prepared a decision according to which for 105 thousand unsecured families or 400 thousand citizens the size of the benefit will be increased by 24 thousand drams (2640 rubles) per year. In order to mitigate the consequences of the tariff increase for unsecured segments of the population, the government will annually provide more than 2.5 billion drams, ”the Prime Minister said ^[40] . Despite this, the protest rally in Yerevan and other cities of Armenia continued ^[41] .

In the evening of June 27, the Armenian President announced a decision to postpone the increase in energy tariffs ^[42] . Protesters in central Yerevan enthusiastically accepted the president’s decision. Music sounded on Baghramyan Avenue, many demonstrators began to dance, celebrating the victory ^[43] .

On July 4, citizens continuing to block Baghramyan Avenue in the center of Yerevan issued an ultimatum. Until 21:00 on July 6, the authorities must fulfill at least one of their requirements, otherwise they will begin to move barricades from garbage cans towards the residence of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, which is located on this avenue. The action of disobedience was called "Step forward" ^[44] . This statement was made by one of the members of the coordination group of the campaign against the rise in price of electricity, David Sanasaryan. The main requirements of the audience:
- cancel the antisocial decision to increase the price of electricity;
- Punish the perpetrators of violence against peaceful demonstrators and journalists on June 23;
- save the tariff with a downward trend ^[45] .
It soon became known that the Special Investigation Service of Armenia opened a criminal case after the dispersal of the protest in Yerevan on June 23. The department will check the media, video and audio recordings of “special events that were carried out on June 23 to end the procession, and then - a sit-down demonstration on Marshal Baghramyan Avenue in Yerevan”. The case was opened in cases of abuse of authority and obstruction of the activities of journalists ^[46] .

On July 6, police again dispersed a rally in central Yerevan. Protesters were completely ousted from Baghramyan Avenue in the center of the Armenian capital. During the dispersal of the demonstration, 46 people were detained ^[5] . The police unblocked the barricades from the garbage cans that the protesters built. The barricades were removed in ten minutes to the indignant exclamations of several dozen demonstrators who remained on Baghramyan Avenue. After the protesters dispersed, cars started driving along Baghramyan Avenue ^[47] .

On July 29, protesters were left without a leader. ^[48] On September 11, another protest rally took place in Yerevan ^[49] .

Further, the number of protesters began to fall and soon the protests stopped .

• Mass riots in Yerevan (2008)
• Gyumri massacre
• Antitrust Protests in Bulgaria (2013)
• Protests in Armenia (2018)

• Yerevan: new thousands of demonstrations despite the dispersal the day before . Euronews Report (06/23/2015)