By Gayaneh Sargsyan

Residents of Vanadzor, Armenia’s third largest city, again demonstrated on August 4 to demand regime change and the release of the member of the armed Sasna Dzrer group that seized a Yerevan police building on July 17.

Demonstrators have gathered in the town’s Hayk Square for the past few days.

Founding Parliament representative Gagik Yeganyan told the crowd that the  group was forced to act as it did since “there was no possibility to stage a political struggle given the situation in the country.”

“On the one hand, President Sargsyan wants to hand over several regions of Karabakh to Azerbaijan, and on the other hand, is gradually conceding our country’s independence to Russia,” Yeganyan proclaimed.

Aida Amiryan, an unemployed Vanadzor resident, told Hetq that regime change was necessary.

“People have no more patience. It’s reached a point that they can no longer tolerate the authorities, illegalities and the lack of jobs,” Amiryan said.

She described the actions of Sasna Dzrer asa spark to wake the people up, and that it was successful.

Armen Mayilyan, another demonstrator, called the Sasna Dzrer members “heroes” and likened them to Monte Melkonian, a diasporan Armenian who fought in the Artsakh War of Liberation.

Mayilyan said the protests would continue in Vanadzor until the authorities accept the fact that the Sasna Dzrer members aren’t terrorists but heroes.

Mayilyan said that most of the police supervising the demonstration also support the actions of the armed group but cannot openly say so due to the fear of repercussions.

69-year-old MikayelYesayan said that until the police and soldiers side with the people, nothing will change.