Since 13 March, Yerevan Municipality has started dismantling cafés near the Opera House. The Head of Kentron Community Victor Mnatsakanyan, police and municipality officials were in the Opera House.
Yesterday, the employees of the cafés showed resistance. Member of Yerevan Council of Elders Ani Khachatryan reached a intermediary agreement with the representatives of cafés that they would take part in the discussion at the City administration on the same day. Dismantling was temporarily stopped.
During the discussion, the representatives of the municipality once again verbally presented the legal grounds to free the territories adjacent to the Opera House and restoring the green zone.
The municipality issued a statement that today, on March 14, the dismantling of cafes will continue.
The employees of the cafes blocked the intersection of Tumanyan and Mashtots streets in protest. Traffic was paralyzed in that area. The police tried to force them out of their territory. There was a clash among them. As a result of the attack, one of the employees got worse.
Police informed to Iravaban.net correspondent that the police has taken 16 people.
Elizabeth Ghazaryan, owner of “Atmosphere” café, said that no workplace was opened by the municipality during these months, and now they want to deprive workers in those cafes. 90% of the “My Step” Alliance, which closed the streets, do not work today. They come all day in my cafe and I do not take money from them. I am not reminding this, But I have to. I shall do this as long as Iwould have opportunity. But now, this is the right of these children. Against whom do you act?
I go out with my workers and close the street, I shall not starving, I shall live a whole life, but these guys will not live. I have a cleaning lady who keeps a baby in a mental asyl, it’s a shame, and who you’ve come against?
Victor Mnatsakanyan stated that this cafe paid 90,000 drams for the area allocated. Elizabeth Ghazaryan mentioned that it is not so and only 90,000 drams are paid for one segment, besides; they pay 800,000 AMD and 200,000 AMD for two other areas.
“We have 28 registered employees in the season, legally, all registered, and in season, 10 employees. We have rented this till 2026. It is our demand to let us work at least till 2023-24, then we will work, and then we will dismantle all by our means, we shall plant trees and give it back to the public, our demand is this and not by clashes, beating or lie,” the owner of the “Atmosphere” café said.
An employee of the “Montal” Café mentioned that they were deprived of their day-to-day money. “We want to work in our workplace where we have studied where we work. This is not a political issue; we just want to earn our daily bread in our cafe where we work. Even if all those 500 workers are accommodated, it will take about two months, and imagine how much a communal payment, and fund to buy bread and pay for the water will be needed. How shall we do it?” she said.
Activist Vardges Gaspari came to the area of the Opera House, and expressed his support to the authorities.
“I declare here not only that I support the municipality, but also the law enforcement officers who ensure the safety of these processes. Today, the police are not the police of the former authorities, they are not the regulator of the regime. Today, the police are legitimate, and I support them,” Vardges Gaspari said.
The demonstrators were all trying to prevent the demolition of already half-ruined constructions. They entered one of them and hit the constructions, shouting. “Let us work”, “Sit calmly in your places.”
The policemen held the roof of the half demolished building in order to prevent from falling on the demonstrators.
The Head of Kentron Community Victor Mnatsakanyan, noted that the municipality will not abandon the decision, everything is being done in the scope of the law and the area will definitely be dismantled.
He urged not to yield at the shouts of the employees and to admit that Yerevan already has an owner.
Notably there were also a number of council members in the place, and later MPs also came.
As of 18:40, Victor Mnatsakanyan announced that the dismantlement works will end today and will continue the next day.
