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The night of June 29 passed peacefully on Bagramian Avenue in Yerevan, the police did not take action to open the avenue.
Some of the protesters against the power tariff hike started cleaning the avenue early in the morning, while others formed a group to discuss further actions.

In particular, it was proposed setting up a working group responsible for organizing a sit-in protest and ensuring the availability of information about their further actions.

Three demands of rally participants were also discussed: to revoke the decision of Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission of June 17 about a rise in electricity tariffs by 6.93 drams; to bring to account management of Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) Company, and punish all policemen who committed violations during the events early June 23.

Yesterday, on June 28, some of those protesting against the power tariff hike on Bagramian Avenue in downtown Yerevan moved to Republic Square located nearby. Among those who left the avenue were members of the coordinating group of ‘No to Robbery’ civic initiative Vaghinak Shushanyan and Maksim Sargsyan. Most protesters, however, did not go anywhere. Police warned several times that they were going to open the street, but they did not take resolute actions.

Earlier, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said on June 27 during a consultation with officials responsible for the republic’s economic policy that the revocation of the decision on the power tariff rise is ‘extremely dangerous’. “For that reason, pending the conclusion (of an audit of Electric Networks of Armenia – editor), the government will shoulder all the burden of the tariff hike,” the president said noting that this will not affect the social reforms underway in the country. According to him, the money will be provided from funds allocated for further strengthening the (energy) security. “Certainly, our security issues are far from being solved, to say the least, and yet that environment of suspicion and distrust that we have now, I think is another security issue and a very important one. And that must be solved. And if that conclusion [of the audit] confirms the price increase is well-based, from that moment on the consumers will begin paying the new tariff without having any suspicions. Should the conclusion confirm the increase had been groundless, the government would take measures to get refunds from the [Electricity] Transmission Grid on the amount surcharged, as well as bring to account those officials that failed on their duties… Under such conditions the work the government began several months ago to change the management of Electric Networks will become certainty, and the option of returning the company to the state and transferring it for competitive management is not ruled out”, said President Sargsyan.