Today, a group of 18 irate Yerevan kiosk owners/renters who have been ordered to dismantle their stalls gathered in front of the Government Building.

They wanted clarification of a July 27 directive issued by Arabkir Deputy District leader Hrayr Antonyan ordering them to dismantle their places of business within 7 days.

In his directive, Antonyan made reference to a June 14 order (#342144) made by Yerevan Mayor Karen Karapetyan.

The kiosk operators then went to the Yerevan Municipality and asked for a copy of Order 342144. They were told that the order had nothing to do with dismantling the kiosks but rather with registering them.

The small business operators are still waiting for an answer in writing from the Municipality.

Yesterday, Antonyan visited the site of the kiosks on Papazyan Street. He was accompanied by police officers and workers equipped with the tolls to tear down the stalls.

The kiosk operators demanded that they be shown a copy of Mayor Karapetyan's order. Caught off guard, Antonyan's people left the scene and returned with a blank form from the Municipality that contained some handwritten text.

Naturally, the kiosk operators were suspicious.

All the operators have commercial licenses. Some, however, while possessing a lease contract for their stalls, don't have a rental agreement for the land itself.

Those without this "land lease" have applied for the document but still haven't heard anything regarding their applications.

Antonyan claims that once the kiosks are ripped down, the land will be used as "green space" replete with irrigation pipes.

One irate business owner told the top ranking police official on the scene to go and tear down the luxury buildings erected in the land near the Monument Statue where the parkland and trees were razed.

"Let them go and dismantle those luxury high rise buildings and restore the parks and gardens that once dotted Yerevan. Let them create jobs for the people," said Narineh Kirakosyan.

The other kiosk operators chimed in, demanding that the authorities create conditions so that people could make a decent living before tackling the green space issue.

Antonyan replied that the Arabkir Parkland Agency had 11 open job spots and suggested that the stall owners work there.

The stall operators refused the proposal.

Narineh said she would always work for the greening of Yerevan on a civic level but that she wouldn't work at the landscaping agency on a long-term basis.

Yesterday, Antonyan told the crowd that he'd be back in 4 days and with the proper papers.

To this, Garineh Hakobyan, Board Secretary for the Heritage Party, responded, "Let them come with their papers. All documents that go against the interests of the people are illegitimate."