(5 May 2024)
RESTRICTIONS SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tavush province – 4 May 2024
1. Various of police officers gathering
2. Wide of people gathering
3. Mid of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan
4. Mid of people listening
5. SOUNDBITE (Armenian) Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, protest leader:
“Instead of heeding the protesters, they used brutal force. Two days ago, in the morning, they attacked the people by dragging them, using brute force, depriving these people of the right to keep their own house. And now you can see how police officers are supervising this place, making sure the lands are demined in front of the enemy and the village territories be handed over under unclear conditions.”
6. Mid of clergyman
7. SOUNDBITE (Armenian) Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, protest leader:
“What I ask now, as I mentioned, we will start our march soon and before that I want us to pray and then our grandmother Lena will bless us as accepted in Armenian tradition.”
8. Wide of Bagrat kneeling before grandmother Lena, taking blessing
9. Wide of people taking blessings from grandmother Lena
10. Wide of Bagrat, protesters singing
11. Various of people marching
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kirants, Armenia – 4 May 2024
12. Wide of old house in Kirants, part of territory set to be transferred to Azerbaijan
13. Close of kettle
14. Various of local villager Shushik Margaryan sitting in her home
15. Wide of doorway
16. SOUNDBITE (Armenian) Shushik Margaryan, local villager:
“I was born here. I have been living here for 73 years.”
17. Margaryan seated
18. SOUNDBITE (Armenian) Shushik Margaryan, local villager:
“It’s already been two weeks since they have been protesting, but what will it change? Nothing! Who is going to listen to them? They even met with Nikol (Pashinyan, Armenian Prime Minister) and he handed over everything. They always talk about peace. What kind of peace can we imagine with Azerbaijanis who have killed so many young men?”
19. Various of Margaryan
20. SOUNDBITE (Armenian) Shushik Margaryan, local villager:
“The villagers built the bridge (set to act as a demarcation line as part of redrawn border). I know that as I was born here. I have never heard that Azerbaijanis had land here.”
21. Wide of Margaryan adjusting curtains
22. Mid of Margaryan leaning on bed
23. Mid of Margaryan playing with worry beads
STORYLINE:
A group of residents of Armenia’s northeastern province of Tavush began a march on Yerevan to protest their government’s decision to hand over land to neighboring Azerbaijan.
In April, the two nations reached an agreement over a stretch of border that would cut through four Armenian villages in the Tavush, meaning Armenia would cede some territory to Azerbaijan.
The march was being led by the charismatic archbishop of Tavush, Bagrat Galstanyan, who maintained that the territories were being “handed over under unclear conditions.”
The archbishop took blessings from the local elder and led the crowd in singing a patriotic anthem, before embarking on the march towards the capital.
As of late Sunday, they are reported to be in the Lake Sevan area and are expected to reach Yerevan on May 9.
Shushik Margaryan, a 73-year-old lifelong resident of Kirants village, which is set to transfer to Azerbaijan, said she believes the protest will have no effect.
“It’s already been two weeks since they have been protesting, but what will it change? Nothing! Who is going to listen to them?,” Mrgaryan said.
The pensioner, whose two daughters live in nearby villages with their families, said Azerbaijan’s claim to the land was dubious.
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