Rally in Yerevan: Police use water cannons against protesters


Armenian policemen used water cannons to disperse a rally in Yerevan on Tuesday morning. People gathered to protest against the decision to advance the price for electricity.

Several injured protesters were taken to hospital, Reuters reports.

The protests flared up in Yerevan on Monday evening, when about 5,000 demonstrators marched to the presidential residence, where they were stopped by riot police. The protesters staged a sit-down strike and blocking traffic in the central boulevard. The police asked them to leave the road, but the demonstrators refused.

The protest was organized by young activists who did not belong to any political party after the authorities announced 17-22% increase in the electricity tariff beginning August 1, 2015.

Higher prices for electricity are accompanied by depreciation of the Armenian currency. On June, 22  the exchange rate of the US dollar to the Armenia drakhma was 1 to 473. A year ago one could buy a dollar for 407 drakhmas.

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