Over 50 Organizations Join Demand for Araik Harutyunyan's Resignation

Members of the "Vank" public initiative gathered in front of the Ministry of Education and Science demanding the resignation of Minister Araik Harutyunyan. Alongside "Vank," members of the "Demanding Applicants" movement, the "Black Panthers," boxer Israel Hakobkonyan, participant Sona Aghekyan from the "Alternative City Hall" initiative, the 'Jermuk Hamo' team, the "HAY" party, and the "For the Homeland" initiative also demanded his resignation.

All participants of the protest are convinced that the minister is undermining all national values, including religion, the church, and the language. Literary scholar Serge Srapionyan has raised alarms, stating that education has never been in such a dire state, even after the Genocide: "We are closing universities from the ground up by shutting down Armenian studies. What branch of sports does the minister know? Besides replacing the federation president, what else has been done? Just changing the minister will not change the system, but it will start a snowball effect — the next one won't take such radical steps."

The first human rights defender of Armenia, Larisa Alaverdyan, also joined the protesters: "The same destructive actions of the past continue with even more destructive methods. Educated people should understand that there are no eternal positions. He is obliged to sit down for dialogue with the part of the people who do not agree with him."

Coordinator Vahagn Chakhalyan assured, "Our struggle is indefinite. We have a more specific goal to remove Araik Harutyunyan by September 15. None of us dreams of being in Araik's place, but over 50 organizations have already joined us. We will fight until the end."

They did not remain in front of the Ministry of Education and Science for long; two hours later, they started a march toward the National Assembly and the President's residence.