March 1 was as important for the independence generation, my generation, as February 20, 1988 was for my parent’s generation and it set the course for Armenia’s future. Even if smaller in numbers and shorter in duration, the energy generated by the hundreds of thousands in 2008, was the most potent opportunity of bringing about positive change to Armenia in the last two decades; an opportunity, which was degraded, beaten and shot down.

2008 was like 1988 because it was the second massive, well-organized and peaceful movement in modern Armenian history. But in contrast to 1988, which bore statehood, 2008 was aborted having a tragic and bloody end.

March 1, 2008 was comparable to October 27, 1999 [1], because the politically motivated killings had irreversible consequences, dragging the country into a long-lasting crisis. However, within this comparison, there are important differences - the victim of these politically motivated killings was not a politician but an ordinary citizen who was gunned down in front of everybody by institutions that are part of the state apparatus. The other considerable difference is that to date no one has been brought to justice for the deaths of ten citizens.

It is natural that arguably the largest public tragedy of the last three decades has left its mark on the people of Armenia, regardless of where they might have been or what their stance was regarding March 1 and the days that followed it. I’m convinced that for many, those few days in spring determined the personal decisions they made in the ten years that followed - be it leaving Armenia, or returning to Armenia, be it a self-imposed exile from public life, or the decision to be more actively involved, be it a decision to search for alternative solutions to problems, or disappointment and the decision to come to terms with the injustices they have been fighting against and even the decision to become part of these injustices.

For me as well, March 1 is a public tragedy that had a deeply personal impact. The time before and after March 1, 2008 is probably the time I experienced some of the most intense and contradictory fluctuations of my life and therefore writing about it even from a distance of a decade is painful, because it is like digging into an open wound with a pen. Writing about it ten years on is also difficult because my memories have become episodic for some time now.