OPPOSITION RALLY DRAWS ONLY LUKEWARM

UNCLAS YEREVAN 002374

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, DRL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ASEC AM
SUBJECT: OPPOSITION RALLY DRAWS ONLY LUKEWARM
RESPONSE



1. (U) Sensitive But Unclassified. Please protect
accordingly.

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SMALL RALLY, NO EXCITEMENT
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2. (SBU) Roughly 1500 opposition supporters gathered
October 26 in Opera Square for an authorized rally
timed to coincide with commemorative events
surrounding the anniversary of the October 27, 1999
parliamentary murders. Although rally organizers
had significantly improved some of their logistical
arrangements since their spring rallies (i.e., had a
sound system that actually worked, had two dozen
young supporters in matching T-shirts and banners
all with the same "no more terrorism" message),they
failed to generate any excitement in the crowd,
which consisted largely of middle-aged men and a
handful of sunflower seed vendors.

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EVEN SMALLER MARCH TO LAY FLOWERS UNEVENTFUL
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3. (SBU) Following some dozen speeches linking the
1999 parliamentary killings to more recent terrorist
acts in Moscow (the 2002 Nord-Ost hostage taking)
and Beslan, approximately 300-500 opposition
supporters marched from Opera Square to the National
Assembly (located across the street from the U.S.
Embassy) to lay a wreath and flowers in memory of
the "October 27" victims. Although the march was
officially unauthorized, the police did not
interfere and the march proceeded without incident.
National Assembly Speaker Artur Baghdasarian and his
Deputy Speakers met the senior members of the
delegation at the gate and escorted about 30
opposition leaders and victims' family members to
the memorial on the National Assembly grounds. The
remainder of the marchers placed their flowers along
the fence surrounding the National Assembly grounds
and dispersed without incident.

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COMMENT: OPPOSITION FINDING NO TRACTION
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4. (SBU) The authorities displayed restraint and did
not interfere with the small, unauthorized march.
The governing coalition's decision to have National
Assembly leaders cooperate with and participate in
the opposition's wreath-laying (with wide television
coverage) underscored the possibility for future
cooperation. With such minimal public support, the
opposition may well follow through on some of its
hints that it might suspend the parliamentary
boycott and get back into the process of reforming
Armenia's constitution (on the National Assembly's
agenda this winter).
EVANS