Armenian National Congress cancels liberty square rally replacing it with rally on Myasnikyan Square

YEREVAN, February 26. /ARKA/. Today Armenian National Congress, the bloc of opposition parties, cancels its rally on Liberty Square in Yerevan announced earlier and called on all its loyalists to gather directly on Myasnikyan Square on March 1 to commemorate those killed on March 1, 2008, Novosti-Armenia International News Agency reports.  

The Congress has been staging marches on that day every year since 2008, when security forces used excessive force against opposition demonstrators protesting the results of the then presidential election. Ten were killed and more than 200 wounded in the clashes. 

Raffi Hovannisian, leader of Heritage party and President Serzh Sargsyan’s key rival in this year’s presidential election, unhappy about the results of the poll is staging protests in Yerevan and provinces. He has scheduled one of his rallies on the Liberty Square for March 1. He plans to march to the Myasnikyan Square with his loyalists after the rally. 

President Sargsyan was reelected by 58.64% of votes. The second vote-getter was Raffi Hovannisian, leader of Heritage party, who disputes the results of the poll, is staging rallies in Armenia’s provinces. In the last Friday, Hovannisian announced the start of the Revolution of Greetings.  -0-