YEREVAN. – The protests, which started on February 25 in Armenia’s capital city Yerevan and with a call for boycotting university classes, are continuing on Monday.

A group of youth has gathered in front of the main building of Yerevan State University (YSU) and is demanding the dismissal of Gevorg Melkonyan, the Assistant to YSU Rector.  

On the same day, the youth will stage a demonstration also before the Constitutional Court where, at 5:30pm, the representatives of opposition Heritage Party Chairman Raffi Hovannisian—who is declared runner-up to the winner, incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan, as a result of the presidential election that was conducted on February 18, but who claims to be the real winner in the vote—will submit a petition to the Court.

To note, a group of youth is holding pickets, in front of Yerevan universities ever since February 25, and is voicing its protest of the results of the presidential vote. Also, these youth are calling upon the university students to boycott their classes as a sign of protest.

An incident occurred during the demonstration that was held on February 27 at the YSU main building. In response to the demonstrators’ cry, “We love you!” YSU Rector Assistant Gevorg Melkonyan had stated: “We love you, too, but only the girls.” Also, he had exclaimed: “Bring the troops, the boys forward!”

The YSU administration, on the other hand, neither punished nor reprimanded Melkonyan, and this had caused anger among the protesting youth.   

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am