The Electric Protest in Yerevan is renewed

The civil movement «Stand Up, Armenia», protesting against the increase in electricity tariffs, renews the protests.

In his interview to RUSARMINFO, David Sanasaryan, a board member of the civil movement «Stand Up, Armenia”, says that today, on July 27, 18:00 (17:00 GMT), at the Republic Square in Yerevan will take place a sedentary picket. «Our demands have not changed: the purpose of our struggle is the abolition of the decision to raise the price of electricity,» says Sanasaryan. The representative of the protesters also mentions that before July 30 activists from Vanadzor, Gyumri, Talin, Ashtarak will join the picket in Yerevan. «Informing the public about the purpose of our struggle, the local participants will go through these towns, and on July 30 we all will be gathered in Yerevan,» informs he. Sanasaryan notes that the July 30 is not chosen randomly: on this day will be held the last session of the Armenian government before leaving for summer vacations. «July 30 is an important day for us. We hope that large numbers of people will be gathered. By any but peaceful actions we need to overturn the decision to raise the tariffs,” explains the activist. Sanasaryan adds also that after the statement of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on the need for the audit of «Armenian electricity networks» no other new step or action has been taken. We recall that the decision of the RA Commission on Regulation of Public Services to increase from August 1 the electricity prices by 16% provoked protests kicked off in Yerevan on June 19. The intensity of protests decreased after the Armenian authorities in order to ascertain the validity of the tariff increase proposed to conduct an independent audit of the «Armenian electricity networks» company (a subsidiary of INTER RAO).