Today's opposition rally was officially declared open by HAK representative Ararat Zurabyan who told the crowd that the government had tried to sabotage the event by cutting off electricity to the site at the Matenadaran. He said that was the reason why the start of the rally was delayed by 30 minutes. Former political prisoner Ashot Zakaryan described their fight as a national-liberation struggle given that "our people now are subjected to an unimaginable degree of slavery". "The general amnesty wasn't a humanitarian act by the regime nor was it imposed by Europe. It was the result of the just struggle of the people. We are not criminals so that they can pardon us. Many of our colleagues are still in prison and we, with Levon Ter-Petrosyan at the vanguard, will struggle to free them but not by an amnesty but with the execution of justice," Ashot Zakaryan said. Petros Makyan, also freed by the amnesty, addressed the crowd by saying, "We missed you all very much". The crowd responded by chanting "And we missed you very much too". Mr. Makyan compared the current regime with a band of terrorists who holds their friends as hostage. "This regime, during whose reign the events of October 27 and March 1 took place, are incapable of taking humanitarian measures." He expressed thanks to all those women who carried on the struggle on Northern Avenue during the heat of the summer and winter's cold. Mr. Makyan added that this regime is playing "cutesy" with Turkey and Azerbaijan and is ready to concede the 1915 Genocide issue to Turkey and Karabakh to Azerbaijan in order to win the favor of Europe and the U.S.