Yerevan update: Protesters get wet in Yerevan’s Baghramyan Avenue, police concentrate forces

July 28, 2016 By administrator

hostage 28-1 YEREVAN. – The police are concentrating large forces in Yerevan’s central Baghramyan Avenue.

The crowd marching to the avenue has now gathered in the forepart of the street, people getting wet in the heavy rain.

The police have banned the march participants to go further, noting that they are going to prevent the march, since there has been no notification about it beforehand and thus it is unlawful. Heritage Party representative Armen Martirosyan and several protestors are arguing, since the Heritage representatives announced that they will not move forward and will block the forepart of the avenue for half an hour. Several other young people insist on moving forward and break through the police cordon.

The police have already blocked the avenue. They have also brought internal troops to install barricades when necessary. Yerevan Chief of Police Ashot Karapetyan and his Deputy Valery Osipyan are on the site.

Finally, despite the complaints of the significant part of the protestors, it was decided to return to Liberty Square.

Turkey: Scuffles erupt between police, protesters in Istanbul

June 9, 2016 By administrator

Clashes have broken out between police and demonstrators, who gathered in the Turkish city of Istanbul in support of Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

The confrontations came after about 1,000 CHP supporters attempted to march on the headquarters of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on Thursday. Some of those attending the event also threw eggs at police.

However, the Turkish policemen fired rubber bullets to disperse the protesters and blocked their way to the AKP headquarters.

Several people were also reported to be bending over in agony after being hit by the rubber bullets.

The demonstrators denounced death threats against Kilicdaroglu, who faced a protest, with a live bullet being thrown at him, during the funeral of the victims of Tuesday’s car bombing in Istanbul. A group of Kilicdaroglu critics torn up a wreath he had laid for the victims.

The Istanbul incident, which was blamed on Kurdish militants, killed 11 people, including six police officers and five civilians.

The attack against the CHP leader “was a black mark in the history of Turkish politics,” party spokeswoman Selin Sayek Boke said, adding the AKP had “drowned Turkey in blood” during its 14 years in power.

Threats against Kilicdaroglu came one day after he said on a live TV interview that he visited the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants in prison.

The CHP chief has repeatedly been accused of failing to give enough support to the Turkish government’s crackdown on the militant group.

Ankara has been engaged in a large-scale anti-PKK campaign in its southern border region over the past few months. The Turkish military has also been pounding the group’s positions in northern Iraq as well in breach of the Arab country’s sovereignty.

Turkey’s operations began in the wake of a deadly July 2015 bombing in the southern town of Suruc, which the Turkish government blamed on the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group.

After the bombing, the PKK militants, who accuse Ankara of supporting Daesh, engaged in a series of reprisal attacks against Turkish police and security forces, prompting the Turkish military operations.

A shaky ceasefire between Ankara and the PKK that had stood since 2013 was declared null and void by the militants following the Turkish strikes against the group.

GERMANY: Berlin Police Say 13 Officers Injured in Clashes With Protesters

May 7, 2016 By administrator

At least 13 police officers were injured in clashes with protesters in Berlin on Saturday, the local police said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Earlier in the day, almost 2,000 people protested calling for Chancellor Angela Merkel to step down. A counter-demonstration also took place, with around 7,500 people rallying for tolerance.

“So far, our colleagues carried out more than 40 detentions… So far, 13 colleagues were reported injured. Three vehicles were set on fire,” the central operations division of the Berlin police said on its Twitter account.

According to local media reports, come 1,700 policemen were deployed to ensure the rallies are carried out peacefully. Several activists managed to break through the police cordon, with law enforcers using tear gas.

The Merkel government has been repeatedly criticized for its open-door migration policy, as Europe is struggling to manage an unprecedented refugee crisis with hundreds of thousands fleeing war and violence in the Middle East and North Africa.

More than 1.8 million migrants entered the European Union in 2015, according to the EU border agency Frontex.

Source: sputniknews.com/

Protesters set Kosovo govt HQ on fire over deal with Serbia

January 9, 2016 By administrator

Kosovo’s government HQ has caught fire after anti-government protesters threw Molotov cocktails at the building. Police used tear gas to disperse protesters, who rallied against the government’s EU-mediated agreements with Serbia.

A fire broke out at the Kosovo government building in Pristina after angered protesters pelted it with petrol bombs, according to photos and reports from the scene.

Firefighters rushed to the scene to extinguish the fire while police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds, according to Balkans-based reporters’ Twitter accounts.

Water cannons now used by police, Molotovs still flying toward police lines. #Pristina #Kosovo pic.twitter.com/wn5WFkdwn3

— Aldin 🇧🇦 (@aldin_aba) January 9, 2016

Greek Protesters Burn US, Turkish Flags, Want Out of NATO After Su-24

November 26, 2015 By administrator

A crowd of Greek citizens gathered in the center of Athens to express their condemnation of the attack on the Russian Su-24 bomber. The protesters burnt Turkish and American flags and demanded that Greece withdraws from NATO.

On Tuesday, a Russian Su-24 aircraft was shot down while on a mission against terrorists in northern Syria by a Turkish F-16 fighter in response to an alleged violation of the Turkish airspace.

About one hundred Greeks gathered Thursday on the Athens’ central Square Syntagma and headed towards the Turkish embassy, Ria Novosti reported. They were stopped by police 300 meters away from the Embassy, right next to the monument in honor of Greek pilots that died in an incident with the Turkish air force near Imia island in 1996. After that incident, the two NATO countries were on the verge of war.

“How symbolic!” one of the demonstrators exclaimed.

The protesters were holding banners condemning NATO. They also burnt US and Turkish flags and dropped leaflets demanding that Greece withdraws from the alliance.

A police cordon didn’t let Panagiotis Lafazanis, the leader of a new Greek left-wing political party, Popular Unity, and one of the protest organizers hand over an address for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the Embassy officials, citing orders from above.

“The whole world is disturbed by the possible consequences of a Russian plane downing by your country. Contrary to your claims, the aircraft didn’t violate Turkish airspace and acted within Syrian territory in a mission against the Islamic State terrorist group.” the address read. “We don’t know who is responsible for the order to destroy the aircraft. We want to believe this madman wasn’t you.”

The protest participants cited daily violations of Greek airspace by Turkish planes.

“Maybe Greek pilots should follow the example of the crazy Turkish officer and down all Turkish military planes that violate our country’s airspace on a daily basis?” they questioned.

People in the crowd expressed their support for Russia’s actions in the Middle East aimed at preventing the spread of Islamic extremism and terrorism in the region, saying there is no defense for what Turkey has done. They believe that the world leaders understand it is essential to unite against the threat coming from the self-proclaimed Islamic State.

“Russia is currently on the frontline not letting this ‘carcinoma’ grow,” a protestor said. “We agree with the Russian president that what Ankara did was a stab in the back. Not only in Russia’s back, but in the back of the international anti-terrorist coalition.”

The protesters added that they expect an official announcement from the Greek government regarding the provocation by Ankara.

Ankara claimed it downed the Russian airplane because it violated Turkey’s airspace. Both the Russian General Staff and the Syrian Air Defense Command confirmed that the Su-24 aircraft never crossed into Turkish airspace.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a Wednesday statement that the downing of the Su-24 plane is a violation of the memorandum of understanding signed by Russia and the United States on flight safety during combat missions over Syria. In the document, the United States swears responsibility for the implementation of relevant rules by all participants of the US-led coalition, including Turkey, the ministry stressed.

Terrorist State of Turkey Police Disperse Protesters Disputing Snap Poll Results in S. E. Kurdish region

November 1, 2015 By administrator

Turkish police are dispersing protesters in the southeast city of Diyarbakir who are disputing the results of the latest snap parliamentary elections that gave the ruling party a clear majority, local media reported Sunday.

ANKARA, (Sputnik) – Demonstrators in the mainly Kurdish city continue clashing with police, who are said to have used water cannons and tear gas, according to CNN Turk.
With all but 1 percent of the votes counted, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is ahead with 49.4 percent. The showing gives AKP 316 out of 550 seats in Turkey’s Grand National Assembly, and allows President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to form a single-party cabinet.
Erdogan called the snap elections for Sunday, November 1 after the parties that won seats in the June election failed to form a coalition.
The Republican People’s Party (CHP) is currently gaining 25.3 percent of the votes, followed by the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) with 11.9 percent. The Pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) has also passed the 10-percent threshold to be represented in the parliament.
Prime Minister and AKP leader Ahmet Davutoglu addressed supporters in the Anatolia city of Konya earlier, thanking them for the support “in the most difficult times.”

Turkey has been rocked by a series of deadly terrorist attacks since July, prompting the country to launch a two-front campaign against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group in northern Syria and militant Kurdish separatist in southeast Turkey.

Istanbul: Turkish police attack peace protesters with tear gas as thousands defiantly march in solidarity with 97 people killed

October 10, 2015 By administrator

Two explosions tore through the pro-Kurdish peace rally, killing 97 people At least 400 people wounded in the blast near Ankara’s main train station Third deadliest terror attack in Europe, after Lockerbie and Madrid bombs But peace protesters back out on the streets tonight in defiance of terror
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

By TOM WYKE and IMOGEN CALDERWOOD FOR MAILONLINE,

Turkish police have attacked peace protesters who had taken to the streets in a defiant gesture against the terrorists who set off two explosions at a pro-Kurdish rally earlier today, leaving 97 dead.
Thousands flooded the streets of the Istanbul, taking a brave stand against terrorists who targetted an earlier pro-Kurdish peace rally held in the Turkish capital Ankara.
The blasts tore through the crowd this afternoon, leaving up to 400 injured and at least 97 dead.
But police and protesters ended up clashing in the streets of Istanbul, with officers firing tear gas at marchers.

Horrific video footage has emerged of demonstrators holding hands and dancing, but their joy turned to terror as the blast erupted just metres behind them at 10.05am.
The explosion tore through the crowd of people, maiming dozens of innocent bystanders and leaving body parts and debris littering the road.
Pictures which emerged shortly afterwards showed torn fragments of flags and banners people had been waving just moments before littering the ground.
Witnesses described how the blasts, which are believed to have been a terror attack, shook the ground around the city’s main train station.
Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu initially confirmed that 62 people had been killed outright in the blast and a further 24 people had died in hospital.
But the figure is still rising, with the Turkish Medical Association claiming it has now reached almost 100 people and over 400 wounded.
The current death toll, which is expected to increase, makes it the third deadliest attack on Europe, after the Lockerbie bombings in 1988 and the Madrid train bombs of 2004.
Three days of mourning have been announced as the country grieves in the wake of the tragedy.
Emergency services have found themselves struggling to cope with the sheer number of wounded people in the aftermath of the blast.
The flags and banners which were being used to promote Kurdish rights in the demonstration were turned into makeshift stretchers by protesters tending to the injured.

Strasbourg: Hundreds of anti-Erdogan protesters Kurdish flags, Armenian and Assyrian-Chaldeans in the streets this morning

October 4, 2015 By administrator

While in Strasbourg this Sunday afternoon the Turks from France are preparing to host the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Zenith in Starasbourg, late morning hundreds of demonstrators with flags of Kurdistan, Armenia and Assyro Chaldeans took to the Strasbourg streets to denounce the arrival of Erdogan in France. The demonstrators denounced attacks by Turkey against Kurdish PKK positions, violence in Turkish Kurdistan and cooperation of Turkey with EI Daesh of Syria and Iraq.

Krikor Amirzayan

Turkey: Istanbul police, protesters clash in flashpoint district: AFP

July 26, 2015 By administrator

ISTANBUL (AFP) –

© AFP | Protesters protect themselves as Turkish riot police fire water cannon to disperse a demonstration in Istanbul's Gazi district on July 26, 2015

Turkish protesters battled security forces on Sunday in intense clashes in a flashpoint Istanbul district where a leftist activist was killed during police raids earlier this week, an AFP photographer said.

Protesters hurled stones and Molotov cocktails at the police who responded with water cannon, plastic bullets and tear gas.

Some protesters then fortified their positions by erecting barricades in the middle of the street, the photographer said.

The situation was so tense that police were no longer patrolling the area on foot, instead keeping inside their armoured vehicles.

Protesters wrapped handkerchiefs around their noses and mouths to protect themselves from the tear gas, while others wore gas masks. Some took to roofs to throw Molotov cocktails onto the police from above.

Some tried to use a giant umbrella advertising a well known ice cream brand to protect themselves from the water cannon. But the force of the spray destroyed the umbrella, knocking protesters over.

The district, which lies well north of the city centre of Istanbul, has been tense since the killing of Gunay Ozarslan on Friday during nationwide police raids against suspected militants.

The raids were part of a nationwide crackdown on suspected militants as Turkish armed forces pounded targets of the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria and Kurdish militants in northern Iraq.

The Gazi district is known as a stronghold of Turkey’s Alevi community, who adhere to an offshoot of Shia Islam.

Strong supporters of secular principles, many are bitter opponents of the ruling Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP).

The area has been the scene of intense clashes since Friday but Sunday’s rioting was some of the most serious seen so far as leftist groups from across the city joined in.

The clashes were sparked when the police moved in after activists refused to hand over the body of Ozarslan to the municipal authorities for burial.

Instead, the corpse is being kept in a local cemevi, an Alevi place of worship which the police tried to raid earlier.

The area was hit by several days of sustained rioting in 1995 that left some 20 people dead and was sparked by a gun attack on several cafes.

#ElectricYerevan Protesters Give Authorities 9 p.m. Monday Deadline to Meet Demands

July 4, 2015 By administrator

Baghramyan Ave. protest organizer Davit Sanasaryan (left) reads a statement that includes a deadline to government

YEREVAN–As the protests against electricity price hikes in Armenia continued into the 13th day, organizers gave the government a deadline of 9 p.m. Monday to meet at least one of their demands or the trash cans that have been acting as barricades against the police would move closer to the 26 Baghramyan Avenue–the presidential palace.

Davit Sanasaryan, speaking on behalf of the organizers, addressed the crowd at 9 p.m. local time Saturday and laid out the 48-hour deadline, explaining that every day that the protesters’–the people’s–demands aren’t met, the barricades would advance closer to the presidential palace.

The protesters, whose numbers have dwindled during the past several days, listened attentively as Sanasaryan explained that the fight has entered a new phase of urging action for demands that have been laid out from the first day of the protests.

“We are not here to sit in Baghramyan Avenue. Our aim is to make our protests heard at the presidential palace, but we are not being allowed since the police are blocking our way, forcing us to erect barricades. Thus our decision to move forward in order to advance our fight,” Sanasaryan told Azatutyun.am’s Hovhannes Movsisyan during a live interview from the site of the protest.

“We are citizens of this country and we will decide the fate of our country,” said Sanasaryan during his speech before presenting the deadline.

Earlier on Saturday, Yerevan police issued another warning to protesters, urging them to empty Baghramyan Avenue.

Sansaryan made it clear that protest organizers did not want to clash with the police. However, he added that they were not afraid because they believe that their protest is just and the people have the right to demand justice.

On Friday, the group led a protest march through the streets of Yerevan, beginning at the Opera House on Liberty Square all the way to Baghramyan Avenue.

Sanasaryan reiterated the protesters’ demands, which: the immediate reversal of the decision to raise electricity prices; punish those responsible for use of brute force against demonstrators and journalists on June 23; review the current electricity rates with aim of lowering them.