Levon Kocharyan played a recording of Pashinyan calling for people to arm themselves with stones and sticks on March 1

Pro-government MPs constantly refer to the events of March 1, 2008, in an attempt to justify the lawlessness taking place in the country today, said Levon Kocharyan, an MP from the “Armenia” faction, at the National Assembly.

“It’s possible that innocent people were detained or arrested during the events of March 1, possibly, I’m not arguing that. But one person who was definitely not innocent is Nikol Pashinyan,” Kocharyan emphasized, responding to statements made by MPs from the “Civil Contract” faction regarding the events of March 1.

The MP then played, in the National Assembly chamber, a recording of remarks made by Pashinyan during the 2008 events, in which he calls on citizens to prepare for self-defense by carrying sticks and stones. “I call on each of you to have something on hand to organize self-defense, whether it’s a stick or a stone. You have no idea how my soul rejoiced when I learned that you had taken shields and batons away from the police. Gather as many people as possible,” Pashinyan said.

The MP recalled that at the time of these statements, there had not yet been any victims, and that the first victim was a police officer. “That day, more than 190 police officers sustained various injuries, burns, and shrapnel wounds, and 32 civilians were also injured. I deeply regret the events of that day, and all the victims, but when you come here and talk about this, I ask that you be at least somewhat fair. Today people are being arrested over trivial matters, but you forget what this man said,” Kocharyan emphasized.