Armenia: Backhanded Victory for Environmental Activists
From Global Voices - After almost three months of continuous protests and sit-ins staged by activists in a battle to save Mashtots Park, the Armenian President, Serzh Sargsyan, ordered the removal of structures already constructed on the basis that they weren't aesthetically appealing, a reason that wasn't on the agenda of those fighting against illegal construction in one of Yerevan's last remaining green spaces.
In addition to their demands to preserve the park for health and environmental reasons, protesters objected to the 'boutique' kiosks because no public hearings were held on the matter and no environmental impact assessment was conducted on the area, both of which are required by law.
