Menua Soghomonyan, a political science professor at Yerevan State University (YSU) and a member of the opposition 5165 movement, has announced a boycott of “luxury” celebrations in Yerevan’s Republic Square in the run-up to the Junior Eurovision 2022 and New Year.
The opening ceremony of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest kicks off in Republic Square late on Monday afternoon.
“I am announcing a boycott of celebrations in Republic Square,” Soghomonyan wrote on Facebook.
“I won’t take my kids to Republic Square, explaining to them that these luxury celebrations come at the cost of sleep loss for many children in border villages and show contempt for the yearning of thousands of children who have lost their fathers,” he stated.
The YSU professor claims the festivities are aimed at distracting the people’s attention from urgent issues.
“It’s a feast in the time of plague,” Soghomonyan said.