Photolure News Agency organizes an exhibition of its photos from #ElectricYerevan.
Attendance was high yesterday night at the opening of the #ElectricYerevan 2015 photo exhibition. Hundreds of people gathered in the Journalists’ Union building for the event kick-off at 6:00 p.m.
Back in June, massive protests against the hike in electricity rates were dubbed #ElectricYerevan on social media, and heavily covered in local and international press.
A few iconic pictures grabbed the public’s attention, such as the one taken by photographer Vahram Baghdasaryan of a young protester emerging from the crowd and standing up in anger against the water canons.
The exhibition at the Journalists’ Union features many of those emblematic photographs, all captured by PHOTOLURE News Agency. Seventy pictures are on display as a reminder of the very intense two weeks Yerevan lived through at the end of June; a time of heightened tensions and police brutality, but also a time when many believed in a major awakening of civil society.
From June 22 to July 6, dozens of journalists spent two whole weeks on Baghramyan Avenue documenting the whole process; from the chanting peaceful crowds, to the water canons hurling people in all directions and subsequent arrests.
Young activist from the iconic photo of #ElectricYerevan receives a copy.
As the events of #ElectricYerevan unfolded, protesters often responded with humor to police aggression. The day after the police dispersed the crowd with water canons, several protesters came prepared, showing up with flotation devices, snorkels and toy water guns.
The #ElectricYerevan exhibition presents several photos illustrating the brutal dispersion of the crowd on June 23 and the rough arrests of individual protesters. The exhibition also features several photographs that capture moments of bliss; protesters performing traditional Armenian dances, offering flowers to police officers or waving ironic signs, often heavy with puns.
Yesterday, the subject of the now iconic picture of a young man captured during one of the most intense moments of the protests by Vahram Baghdasaryan, was invited on stage by the organizers. Upon being presented with his photograph in large format, he smiled shyly, and raised two fingers in a “peace” sign. “I don’t know what to add,” he said, visibly touched. “Thank you.”
Following the opening of the photo exhibition, all guests were invited to attend the first screening of the documentary #electricyerevan: A Day of Violated Rights, produced by the Public Journalism Club.
The 30-minute documentary is an engaging eyewitness account of the incidents that happened on the morning of June 23, when police resorted to force to disperse protesters.
A journalist being arrested during #ElectricYerevan.
“The violence on June 23 targeted journalists as well. 13 journalists were detained while they were covering the protests. 24 journalists are reported to have been injured or detained, which is an unprecedented number for the recent years and a major concern,” detailed Seda Muradyan, Head of the Public Journalism Club.
Through interviews with protesters, journalists, civil society organizations and representatives of the police, the documentary aims at shedding light over rights violations that occurred, and start a conversation.
Deputy Human Rights Defender Armen Grigoryan stated in his interview for the documentary that the clashes on the morning of June 23 were a “step back in the legal system.” However, he also stated that the police’s behaviour after June 23 should also be noted, as he believes that the next days showed “a positive shift in [the police] actions.”
The exhibition will be on view until November 26, at the Journalists’ Union, 3/10, Pushkin Street, Yerevan.
You can watch an Armenian-language video report of the exhibition here.
Charlotte Poulain
