First they announced that the protest was being moved to Yerevan, where they would be protesting outside the embassies. Then they announced a sit-in, for which army tents were set up in the square. Arayik Harutyunyan posed for the public in one of them….
But—oh horror!—this whole “circus” is failing to make the expected impression on those for whom this show is intended:the international public. And not only because GurgenNersisyan does not look like a famished man as he yells something like “we will be collecting corpses in this square tomorrow!” with his belly hanging out. The rest of the rally participants do not look like starving people either. Suffice it to look at the photos circulated by Armenian sources.
But most importantly, despite all the tricks and attempts at Internet censorship, photos of the real life in Hankendi still find their way onto social media: there are weddings with magnificent cakes and Belgian waffles, lavish parties, gatherings at local restaurants and picnics, and so on.
Are the organizers of this whole “blockade circus” not aware of the real situation? Doubtful. It is just that for decades shameless fake news making has been the mainstream of local PR. And if PR people get used to lying, they will never break the habit. Especially if over those decades the political top brass of many countries of the world swallowed any Armenian nonsense for the sake of their own interests. And now the situation has changed. The “miatsum” project has been closed and they have lost interest in it. So, there will be no more “ordered to believe” situation. Hence, there will be no unanimous lamentations about “the poor starving children of Artsakh”, “aid committees”, etc. … probably with the exception of France.
And most importantly, it will be very difficult to explain to even the most gullible individuals why “starving Armenians” at their abundant tables in Khankendi restaurants flatly refuse to have food and other basic necessities delivered from Aghdam.
