The police had the right to clear it and legally detain people without using undue force, Serj Tankian said on Facebook, commenting on the protest actions against electricity price rise in Yerevan.

“It seems like the brutal police crackdown with water cannons and beating up people including journalists has predictably brought more people out into the streets of Yerevan today,” he wrote.

The musician believes the situation should not be politicized by foreign media or governments.

“This is a non-political reaction to an endemic economic marginalization of a large segment of the Armenian populace. The government of Armenia should make every effort to ameliorate the economic suffering of its citizens and address this and other concerns.”