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The Armenian police will not take any actions unless there are offences, Armenian Police Chief Vladimir Gasparyan told journalists when referring to the continuing rally on Bagramian Avenue of Yerevan against a rise in power tariffs.

“The police take a philosophic approach to that phenomenon. People have come to raise a social problem. They want a solution to it. We see no problems here ,” Gasparyan said adding “We protect citizens, but when a citizen breaks the law, then a mechanism is applied”.

“I am in favor of civilized solution of all problems so that the situation could not reach the point of police intervention. There are no provokers among policemen. And if a policeman in civilian clothes made a mistake, no problem – he will be discovered,” the police chief said.

He repeated that the Armenian police are not going to use force and will maintain public order in case of offences.
As regards the ‘live shield’ that Armenian MPs, intellectuals, lawyers, reporters and priests have formed between police and demonstrators, V. Gasparyan said: “If the live shield is just a decoration, then, of course, no one needs it. But if those who form it want frankly a solution to the problem, then they should pass on their experience to youths so no provokers will join them and no undesirable events will happen”.

When asked if he considers the ‘live shield’ at the Yerevan rally a decoration, V. Gasparyan replied: “In places”.
A sit-in protest is underway on Bagramian Avenue in central Yerevan. The protest is staged by supporters of ‘No to Robbery’ civic initiative against the rise in electricity tariffs. Participants stress the protest actions they have been staging since June 19 are exclusively social by nature. They demand that the head of state revoke the decision of Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission of June 17 on a rise in electricity tariffs by 6.93 drams.