P.S. The action. Photo, video, media reports: Armenia human rights activists protest and enter CoE conference in Yerevan exposing ruling regime’s hypocrisy

Perfect example of peaceful resistance by human rights activists in Armenia, who acted upon by exposing hypocrisy of ruling regime. Big respects !!

Perhaps, for the first time homophobia, anti-gay violence, along with other instances of intolerance and xenophobia in Armenia were so publicly and prominently confronted gaining wide publicity.

For more background info, read Unzipped: Text-book hypocrisy: Armenia hosts Council of Europe conference on combating racism, xenophobia and intolerance in Europe

Selected examples of photo, video, media and Twitter reports below.

Peaceful Demonstrators at COE conference today on tolerance. Thanks for being here. pic.twitter.com/sk7ExbGwIp
— Amb Heffern (@AmbHeffern) October 21, 2013

Pleased that Arm is hosting @coe Combatting Xenophobia conference. Amb Aves at opening session. Good that demonstrators had their say too.
— UK in Armenia (@UKinArmenia) October 21, 2013

Protesters entered the conference hall where the international conference “Fight against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Europe” was taking place - photos by Photolure

*Picture perfect

Epress: VIDEO: Armenian Activists Interrupt Conference on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance

 A group of peaceful activists staged a protest in Yerevan today during a “High Level Conference on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Europe” organized by the Council of Europe. The conference takes place in the frramework of theArmenian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE).

Recall, according to the CoE website: “During the conference the participants will have the opportunity to reflect upon racism and xenophobia in political discourse, the role of human rights institutions in combating racial and ethnic discrimination, as well as topics related to combating hate speech and racial stereotypes on social networks and media.”

At 10:15 am, demonstrators protested outside the Armenia Marriott Hotel, where the conference was being held, pointing to the hypocrisy of Armenia’s authorities organizing such a conference. The activists recalled Armenian authorities’ reactions after the bombing of gay-friendly bar DIY, the threats against women’s rights organizations, and discrimination against members of the LGBT community.

The placards the activists held depicted the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) Coat of Arms, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, RA Deputy Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Khachik Asryan, and National Assembly Vice-President, HHK spokesperson Eduard Sharmazanov.

When RA Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian declared the conference had begun, the activists entered the hall where the conference was being held with the placards in hand.

Hotel security personnel, Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff, and the police attempted to escort them outside, but activists stood with their placards in front of the invited guests and stayed for about half an hour while the conference continued.

ArmeniaNow: Protesters disrupt high-level international conference in Yerevan

A number of protesters broke security and entered the conference hall at Armenia Marriott Hotel in Yerevan today to make their message heard by participants of an international event taking place there. 
The high-level conference attended by Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian and Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland is entitled “Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Europe”. 

The activists held banners accusing the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) of “xenophobia and racism” and raising issues of women’s and LGBT people’s rights in Armenia.

In particular, they accused senior RPA member Edward Sharmazanov as well as leading representative of the opposition Dashnaktsutyun party Artsvik Minasyan of supporting those who bomb-fired an LGBT-friendly bar in Yerevan in May 2012.

The banners also mentioned another RPA member, Deputy Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Khachik Asryan, who called for burning an oppositionist at the stake over her critical comments earlier this month.

Hetq Online (with great photo-story): Protestors Disrupt International “Hate Crime” Conference in Yerevan

Activists protesting state sponsored discrimination and intolerance towards women and other minorities in Armenia, greeted participants as they entered Yerevan’s Marriott Hotel this morning for a conference entitled “Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Europe”  Holding banners accusing the ruling Republican Party in Armenia and its officials as actually fomenting “hate crime”, the activists argued that the government itself should be the focus of the conference.

CivilNet (AM): Բողոքի ակցիա` Եվրոպայում խտրականության դեմ համաժողովի ընթացքում



[PINK Armenia: Appeal to the participants of the Council of Europe conference]

CivilNet (AM): Մի խումբ քաղաքացիների կոչը եվրոպացի պաշտոնյաներին

News.am - report, photos and video (AM) «Ֆաշիստական կուսակցության հետ չի կարելի քննարկել ֆաշիզմի հաղթահարումը». ակտիվիստները ներխուժել են դահլիճ 

Panorama.am - report, photos (AM) Ակտիվիստները եվրոպացիներին բողոքում են հայ «ֆաշիստներից», իսկ Հեֆֆերն էլ նրանց էր նկարում (լուսանկարներ)

Video by A1+ (AM): Իրարանցում խորհրդաժողովի ժամանակ