Armenia Attacks Protesters

Country declares emergency rule, kills 1 as rallies rage for 2nd week
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 1, 2008 4:30 PM CST
Armenia Attacks Protesters
Opposition supporters wave an Armenian flag during a protest rally in Yerevan, Armenia, Saturday, March 1, 2008. About 2,000 demonstrators marched through Yerevan on Saturday afternoon, to protest the results of the Feb. 19 presidential election results. (AP Photo/Photolure, Mkhitar Khachatryan)   (Associated Press)

Armenian cops fired on a crowd of protesters today and killed at least one as the country declared emergency rule, Reuters reports. Protests have raged daily since a Feb. 19 presidential election that opponents say was rigged for ex-premier Serzh Sarksyan. Police are holding opposition hopeful Levon Ter-Petrosian under house arrest and accuse the crowds of attempting a coup.

President Robert Kocharyan's emergency decree bans mass gatherings and puts the press under government control. But protesters armed with sticks and metal rods continue to pound police with molotov cocktails and set cars on fire in the capital city of Yerevan. "The people are very resolute and they will struggle for their rights," one opposition official said. (More Armenia stories.)

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