Black-Red Yerevan channel tells: 2015. Utilities prices have been rising in
Armenia for two years now, and the government is reiterating its decision toraise prices by 40%, ostensibly to pay off accumulated debts to hydroelectricpower plants and an electricity supplier (Electric Networks of Armenia), whichhas been owned by the Russian monopoly for the third year. RAO UES. ---- Thiscaused a wave of indignation, and thousands of people took to the streets. ----It all started with the right-wing initiative "No to Robbery", which arose backin 2014 during protests against the increase in transport prices. She posted onFacebook calls to join the procession in Yerevan on Northern Avenue to Opera Square.Then, as the Armenian anarchists said, the procession was almost squatted bynear-left activists and artists who painted banners and set the tone for thechants. But then the organizers, realizing what was happening, took more Armenianflags and started chanting tasteless nonsense about a "strong and independentArmenia." After the action, it was decided to meet again on June 19.At the same time, mass spontaneous protests against the increase in tariffs tookplace not only in Yerevan, but also in the marzes, where they were morespontaneous. After all this, the authorities announced that they were raisingprices by 17%, not 40%.At the second Yerevan rally, Armenian anarchists began to show their positionmore actively. They formed an autonomous anarchist bloc, brought red-black andblack-violet diagonals and their leaflets demanding the socialization of thesupplier company.This time, a sit-down strike was announced for 4 days, during which the copsbegan to grab anarchists, and after which people took to Baghramyan Street, wherethe presidential administration is still located in the 26th building. There, theprotesters were already waiting for the police with water cannons and armoredpersonnel carriers, but despite this, they managed to organize themselves andarrange a block.By morning, 300 people were left on the street. But when it dawned and it becameclear that now it was all going to begin, people sharply increased. Up to 500 people.But soon an avalanche of cops in civilian clothes fell upon them. They seizedand, taking them to doorways, beat people. The meeting was dispersed with watercannons. The journalists who were present on the spot also got it.In total, 237 people were detained, that is, the majority of those who werepresent there. They were kept at the polling stations from 8 to 12 hours.Such a degree of violence stirred up the entire society. On the streets, intransport, in shops, people talked only about this. The video was massivelyreposted on Facebook. And already at six o'clock in the evening the square nearthe Opera was simply packed with people. In less than 12 hours from the beginningof the dispersal, about 8,000 people returned to the streets under the banners.Actions and strikes also started in Gyumri and other cities.During this event, the spirit of self-organization manifested itself even more:people began to carry bedding, water and food en masse, both from their homes andfrom neighboring cafes and restaurants. And the "poor" organizers of the ralliesgradually lost influence and were refused proposals to create committees and makeconcessions.Russian media reports caused a lot of indignation. Everyone knew that this was ablatant lie. Pro-Kremlin journalists tried to portray the demonstrators as"Russophobes paid for by the State Department," and called the rally itself"Maidan," despite the fact that the protesters themselves forbade bringing EU andUkrainian flags with them. It was not a political, but a social protest withelements of a struggle against police brutality.Anarchists during the protests distributed their leaflets with the following content:"As a result of the next rise in prices, the poor will become even poorer, andthose who do not consider themselves poor will be forced to part with illusions.The most insecure sections of society will be doomed to poverty, and theso-called middle class will join the ranks of the insecure.Is it necessary to get rid of the predatory management of "Armenian ElectricNetworks"? Yes need!Is it necessary to get rid of corrupt officials? Yes need!Is it necessary to get rid of an illegitimate president? Yes need!But the only way to put an end to this forever is to step by step give up suchinstitutions as the ArmEC, bureaucracy and the president.Everyone needs to be able to fully participate in the decision-making processregarding the distribution of electricity. One of the possible ways: the creationof a joint-stock company with the participation of all residents, subject to theinalienability of shares.However, along the way, we will inevitably encounter:police protecting those in power,capitalists and their desire to make super profits,state that does not serve the interests of the population,and colonialists using the state as a tool.To achieve what you want, you need to fight, not make demands. Everyone should beable to enjoy electricity and other basic benefits - realizing their birthrightto a decent life. And this right is pointless to demand, it must be won!"Actions of solidarity with Armenian anarchists were held in Kyiv near theArmenian embassy and were organized by Black Rainbow. As Ukrainian anarchistsstated: "We express our solidarity with the struggle of the Armenian protestersand fully support their demands, and we also strongly oppose the repressiveactions of the state, which brutally dispersed the demonstrators who aredefending their social rights."Solidarity actions were also performed by left-wing Georgian students in Tbilisi,chanting "Solidarity to the Armenian people!", "Forward social interests!", aswell as leftists from Turkey and Azerbaijan.Noteworthy, by the way, is the reaction of leftist social media users during theprotests from Azerbaijan, who made such a collage, showing that despite theborders, peoples have a common enemy - capital and the state.However, thanks to the ploys of the government, which said it was subsidizing thedebt, some protest leaders began calling for people to get off the streets. Andalthough they failed to convince the majority, the protests began to thin out bythe day. And a year later, the government... canceled its decision to subsidize.Specifically, for the anarchists, the difficulty also began to lie in the factthat the cops especially zealously grabbed people with anarchist symbols, theprotesters were afraid to radicalize their demands, and the organizers dideverything in their power to drown out these calls.Thanks to disinformation and police terror, the ruling class managed to splitsociety.As Vadim Damier also noted, the defeat of the Armenian protest was largely due tothe lack of experience of grassroots protest."Fortunately, Armenia now has a more liberal regime, which makes such eventssafer," the authors of the Black-Red Yerevan channel sum up. - The discussionsand lectures that the anarchists wanted to hold then, we can now do with greatersecurity. It is also a lesson that anarchists should be more autonomous and moreproactive.After all, the same conciliatory group "No to robbery" gained strength during theprotests of 2014, in which ... the anarchists simply did not participate, leavingthe agenda in the hands of very dubious figures, among whom, for example, wererepresentatives of the Ayazn party and the political movement " ConstituentAssembly"".Help Autonomous Action spread propaganda against the war, cover anarchistinitiatives in Russia and social protest.Reprints, Alternative media, Anarchist opinionAnarchist movement, Lawlessness of power, History, Media criticism, Eventreports, Human rights, Protests, EconomicsArmeniaYerevanBlack and Red YerevanBlack Rainbowhttps://avtonom.org/news/opyt-uchastiya-anarhistov-v-socialnyh-protestah-v-armenii_________________________________________A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C EBy, For, and About AnarchistsSend news reports to A-infos-en mailing listA-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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