March in Yerevan Dedicated to Amulsar Protection

Members of the "Amulsar Without Mine" initiative are currently holding a march in the center of Yerevan dedicated to the protection of Amulsar. The march began at Freedom Square, passing through Mashtots, Amiryan, Tigran Mets, Khanjyan, and Sayat Nova streets, and will conclude back at Freedom Square.

The organizers have released a statement outlining the purposes of the march:
- To show solidarity with our fighting compatriots in Jermuk,
- To express our clear position to both internal authorities and external forces,
- To demonstrate our unity and collectiveness regarding the issue of Amulsar's protection.

The statement also notes that they expect the presence of all concerned citizens during these crucial days for Amulsar. The issue is becoming extremely critical, and the Prime Minister must keep his promise. This was announced by Gevorg Gorgisyan, a member of the "Enlightened Armenia" parliamentary group, during the march.

"If it was promised that as long as there are no clear guarantees that the operation of Amulsar will not have irreversible consequences, then it should not be exploited. There is no evidence yet," the MP stated.

Gorgisyan pointed out that the Minister of Environment should also express his position on the issue, yet he has become like a “Santa Claus or a fairy tale character; everyone talks about him, but he does not exist."

Naïra Zohrabyan, a member of the Prosperous Armenia parliamentary group, is also taking part in the march. In an interview with our correspondent, she stated that the exploitation of Amulsar would be a genocide, which they said from the podium of the National Assembly years ago.

"No decision can be made without the consent of the people. We are here authorized by the residents of Jermuk. There can be no two opinions; if the people are against it, the mine cannot be exploited. I don’t understand why money has been paid to an organization that has drawn conclusions based on studies done by the previous government," she said.

According to Zohrabyan, the march is not against the Prime Minister; rather, people are concerned because they understand that the rise in cancer cases is also related to environmental issues.

"There will be another consultation between the Prime Minister and the leaders of Lydian; they may agree, or they may not agree..." she noted. She recalled the Prime Minister's previous statement that the approach to developing the economy based on mining should be reconsidered.