Tourist minivan drivers protesting at Republic Square

ArmInfo. Drivers of tourist vehicles held a protest at  Republic Square inresponse to the ban on parking their cars. They claimed they were only informed of this decision by the Yerevan City Hall only two days prior. Prohibitory signs were placed from the intersection of Northern Avenue and  Abovyan Street to Republic Square.

The protesters told journalists that they plan to seek clarification  from the Yerevan City Hall and the government regarding the current  deadlock, that prevents them from working. According to the drivers,  the city hall justified the ban by stating that their cars  obstruct  traffic, a claim which the drivers dispute.  Additionally, they were  informed that parking their cars in the center of Yerevan spoil the  city's appearance. The protesters also mentioned previous issues with  the size of the advertisements they use attract tourists. They stated  that they responded to this problem calmly and agreed to reduce the  size of the advertisements if given specific criteria. 

"In essence, after solving one issue, they created another," the  drivers complained. During the protest, a police officer approached  them and said that they had to write a statement to the Yerevan City  Hall and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia. He also noted  that they must receive a response within three working days, or else  they would be allowed to continue the protest. In this regard, the  drivers started collecting signatures and drafting a statement.