Activists Protest Transportation Price Hikes in Yerevan

Activists Protest Transportation Price Hikes in Yerevan –

 

YEREVAN (Hetq.am)—On Sunday morning a score of protesters pushed past police to sit down on the steps leading to the Yerevan Municipality to oppose transportation price hikes that have gone into effect.

Commuters using buses and minivans will have to pay 150 drams (36 cents) as opposed to 100 drams, while trolleybus passengers will pay 100 drams (24 cents) as opposed to 50.

Police made a half-heartened attempt to keep the activists from gathering on the steps of the municipality building.

The protesters, by then encircled by a phalanx of policemen, flung 50 dram coins over towards the municipality entrance.

One of the coins hit Albert Gevorgyan, a mayoral advisor who was speaking to a reporter at the time, in the head. After being struck by the coin, Gevorgyan refused to answer any more questions and went back inside.

The protesters argue that the price hikes are unjustified and will merely go to further fill the pockets of those who own the transportation routes.