 In January 1974 Razmik Zohrapyan, a member of the underground National United Party burned the portrait of Lenin at the square in protest of Soviet totalitarian rule.Following the 2008 presidential election president-elect Serzh Sargsyan held a rally of 60,000–70,000 "would-be supporters" who were brought from different parts of Yerevan and Armenia in buses.Many of them headed towards Freedom Square where a competing rally was being held by Levon Ter-Petrosyan.