 |
| Velvet Revolution at Yerevan's Republic Square |
I had the opportunity to visit Armenia in April 2018 (long overdue blog post, I know). But it's not a country I knew much about. Think Armenia and chances are, you've read about the Armenian Genocide where 3/4th of its population perished - the controversy behind countries and world leaders acknowledging this as a 'genocide' ensues. One of the fascinating things I learnt was that today in Armenia, the population stands at just under 3 million (to put this in perspective, Mumbai city in India has a population of 18 million). But check out this stat; around 11 million Armenians live outside the country as migrants (most of them in the U.S.)! Right from the late 19th century, there have been three waves of massive migration from Armenia. But barring its troubled history, surely there's more to this landlocked tiny country? I was in for a surprise. In the very days we visited Armenia, the country made global waves with its Velvet Revolution, a watershed moment in its history that I saw unfold in front of my very eyes. So here we are almost a year after my visit, and as the Armenia inches closer to the first anniversary of the Revolution, I simply had to pen my experience down of what it was like traveling in a country when it was going through a historic chapter.
The Velvet Revolution [Ground Zero: Republic Square, Yerevan]
 |
| Protesters gather... |
Arriving from the airport into the capital city of Yerevan, little did we know that the small crowd of protesters we passed by would become the genesis of the historic Velvet Revolution powered by hundreds of thousands. We happened to stay in a hotel just a few blocks away from the ground zero: Republic Square, the central town square which houses the government, the landmark Armenia Marriott Hotel, National Gallery of Armenia and the History Museum of Armenia. We found ourselves exploring Yerevan in the thick of this revolution, one that was their protest of civil disobedience. The Revolution's slogan was 'Take a step, reject Serzh'. Armenians, young and old, students and businessmen, parents with children, were all protesting against the country's long time power-thirsty ruler Serzh Sargsyan; they were demanding for his resignation. For a population fraught with economic struggles, corruption and other issues under Serzh's leadership were aggravating and this protest was a call for their socioeconomic rights under a new leader. It was journalist-turned-Opposition Leader Nikol Pashinyan who was the desired choice of the people.
 |
| Campaign slogan unmissable |
When I was in Yerevan, it was surreal seeing the protest inflate massively. Suddenly the international community was taking notice. Armenians were flying into Yerevan to become part of the 'Reject Serzh' campaign. Walking on the streets, day or night, we would suddenly and inadvertently find ourselves in the midst of other protesters, and the adrenaline was infectious. No matter where we were in Yerevan, signs of the ongoing protest were evident. What was remarkable, was their passion for change and their will to set a precedent with their peaceful, non-violent demonstrations. Touring the popular Cascade, we even found a teacher escorting a group of 5 year olds chanting the Revolution's slogan in unison! We spotted an artist painting the 'Reject Serzh' slogan on sheets of paper. A young boy also handed over the slogan banners to us with a smile - yes, we felt quite a part of their revolution. We were watching reports on BBC for updates on the twists and turns of the Revolution unfolding on the streets right outside our hotel. And there were cars honking all day long - we learnt that this was deliberate honking by Armenians who couldn't be a part of the protests but wanted to make their voices heard, so as they drove to and fro work, they filled the roads with the sounds of their honking cars.
 |
| The 'revolting tourist' |
But there was undeniable drama and tension in the air, especially when news spread that Serzh agreed to meet with Nikol at the Armenia Marriott Hotel just a few blocks away. But alas, the anticipation was crushed when Serzh walked out abruptly within just three minutes of meeting Nikol. Furthermore, the civil disobedience movement intensified when Nikol was arrested by the police just hours later. We were making our way back into Yerevan after a monastery visit as our 23 year old guide Samvel broke this news to us. He began sharing the backstory of the protests, the look of concern and helplessness evident in his eyes. No savings, fewer jobs, low salaries, high expenses & debts - these were some of the troubles Samvel said young Armenians like himself were facing. "How stupid can people be?!", we heard Samvel remark frustratingly when he spotted some plastic litter along the pristine mountain roads. It seemed like an endless list of issues that his generation were having to deal with.
 |
| Samvel, posing for a click |
Entering the traffic-choked streets of Yerevan, upon spotting heavily armored military vehicles, Samvel said "I don't know what's going to happen...". He dropped us off at our hotel and quickly left to join his fellow countrymen in protest. People were out in massive numbers and cars were honking incessantly through the wee hours of the night demanding Nikol's release. We were right there on Republic Square watching the Armenian tricolor flags raised high with slogans echoing hour after hour, journalists recording footage and the police on guard. No one knew how the next day would unfold.
 |
| Tension in the air as protesters demand release of Nikol |
The next morning and our final day in Yerevan, we were back to exploring the city, buying some Armenian honey and souvenirs, when a change in energy was palpable. When we saw the church priests walk hand in hand with protesters brimming with smiles, chanting "Nikol! Nikol!" in utter jubilation, we knew this Revolution had just taken a turn for the better. Unbelievable to many Armenians, Nikol was released and Serzh resigned. To the shock of many, the demands of the Armenian people were met - they got what they had fought so long and hard for over the past few days. Nikol would go on to be elected as Armenia's Prime Minister. The people won, and remarkably so through completely peaceful demonstrations. Anger turned into joy. Flags soared high. People were singing and dancing on the streets. Strangers became friends. The sun was out, parks were crowded, ice cream vendors were back in business, families took to their balconies and streets were filled to the brim. Everyone was filming this moment on their phones. Me too.
 |
| Celebrations and sleep afforded by Armenians post the victorious Velvet Revolution |
That same evening, I boarded the flight back to Dubai with a strange sense of contentment (and even a feeling of closure) over the fact that we got to see a positive outcome after the few days of tense and unrelenting protests. It was bizarre; one day I am part of a revolution, and the next, I am staring at marketing plans on my laptop screen in office. With few obvious yet understandable changes to our tour itinerary, I still consider myself lucky to have visited Armenia amidst the Revolution. We never once felt unsafe or threatened in our time there, and only saw hope in the eyes of people that just wished for a better Armenia. It may be a tiny country, but its people demonstrated their soft power. I had a front seat view of how positive change can be brought about through the coming together of people. Sometimes, travel can teach you so much more than you would think possible.
Comments
Post a Comment