Two grassroots organizations in Yerevan say that businesses dismantled along Abovyan Street in the Armenian capital downtown district have relocated to a public park at the intersection of Aram and Buzand Streets.

The activists say that it would appear that the mayor’s directive to “clean-up” the downtown district of storefronts on major pedestrian sidewalks resembles a chess game in which the pieces are merely being moved about.

The two groups, “We Own This City” and “Our City”, have issued a public statement urging the Yerevan Mayor’s Office to stop construction at the new commercial site and to dismantle those stores that have already been erected.

The groups have called for a protest demo at the site at 1pm today.