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Situation In Yerevan Tense After Another Day Of Armenian Anti-Government Protests

Armenian police forcibly detain a protester in Yerevan on May 4.<br /> <br /> Ongoing anti-government protests began on May 1 in the Armenian capital over fears that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian is poised to make major concessions to Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.&nbsp;
1/12 Armenian police forcibly detain a protester in Yerevan on May 4.

Ongoing anti-government protests began on May 1 in the Armenian capital over fears that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian is poised to make major concessions to Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. 
Thousands take to the streets of Yerevan and hundreds are arrested after Armenia's prime minister appears to hint at a handover of long-disputed land to Azerbaijan. Armenia and Azerbaijan have long been at odds over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. In 2020, Azerbaijan's military recaptured several regions that had been under control of ethnic Armenian forces since the 1990s.
Police surround protesters in Yerevan on May 3.<br /> <br /> On April 13, Pashinian told parliament: &quot;I am guilty that in 2018-19 I did not stand before our society and relay that all of our -- I repeat, all of our -- friends near and far expect us to hand over seven famous [disputed regions in and around Nagorno-Karabakh] to Azerbaijan in one way or another...&quot;
2/12 Police surround protesters in Yerevan on May 3.

On April 13, Pashinian told parliament: "I am guilty that in 2018-19 I did not stand before our society and relay that all of our -- I repeat, all of our -- friends near and far expect us to hand over seven famous [disputed regions in and around Nagorno-Karabakh] to Azerbaijan in one way or another..."
Thousands take to the streets of Yerevan and hundreds are arrested after Armenia's prime minister appears to hint at a handover of long-disputed land to Azerbaijan. Armenia and Azerbaijan have long been at odds over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. In 2020, Azerbaijan's military recaptured several regions that had been under control of ethnic Armenian forces since the 1990s.
Former Armenian President Robert Kocharian speaks with protesters in Yerevan on May 3.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> Opposition figures that organized the protests accuse Pashinian of planning to let Azerbaijan take full control over Nagorno-Karabakh and demand the prime minister&#39;s resignation.
3/12 Former Armenian President Robert Kocharian speaks with protesters in Yerevan on May 3. 

Opposition figures that organized the protests accuse Pashinian of planning to let Azerbaijan take full control over Nagorno-Karabakh and demand the prime minister's resignation.
Thousands take to the streets of Yerevan and hundreds are arrested after Armenia's prime minister appears to hint at a handover of long-disputed land to Azerbaijan. Armenia and Azerbaijan have long been at odds over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. In 2020, Azerbaijan's military recaptured several regions that had been under control of ethnic Armenian forces since the 1990s.
Demonstrators encamped in central Yerevan on May 3.<br /> <br /> Pashinian has also come under fire recently for the death of a pregnant woman who was killed <a href="https://www.azatutyun.am/a/31823882.html" target="_self">after being struck by a car in his motorcade</a> in April.&nbsp;
4/12 Demonstrators encamped in central Yerevan on May 3.

Pashinian has also come under fire recently for the death of a pregnant woman who was killed after being struck by a car in his motorcade in April. 
Thousands take to the streets of Yerevan and hundreds are arrested after Armenia's prime minister appears to hint at a handover of long-disputed land to Azerbaijan. Armenia and Azerbaijan have long been at odds over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. In 2020, Azerbaijan's military recaptured several regions that had been under control of ethnic Armenian forces since the 1990s.
Armenian singer Sirusho performs during a demonstration in Yerevan calling for the resignation of Pashinian.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> More than 200 people were detained by police on May 3, the day this photo was taken.&nbsp;&nbsp;
5/12 Armenian singer Sirusho performs during a demonstration in Yerevan calling for the resignation of Pashinian. 

More than 200 people were detained by police on May 3, the day this photo was taken.  
Thousands take to the streets of Yerevan and hundreds are arrested after Armenia's prime minister appears to hint at a handover of long-disputed land to Azerbaijan. Armenia and Azerbaijan have long been at odds over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. In 2020, Azerbaijan's military recaptured several regions that had been under control of ethnic Armenian forces since the 1990s.
A woman is detained by police in Yerevan on May 3.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> The prime minister&#39;s political allies accuse the opposition of exploiting the Karabakh issue in a bid to seize power. They point to recent elections that reinstated the ruling party after the large-scale conflict with Azerbaijan in 2020.&nbsp;
6/12 A woman is detained by police in Yerevan on May 3. 

The prime minister's political allies accuse the opposition of exploiting the Karabakh issue in a bid to seize power. They point to recent elections that reinstated the ruling party after the large-scale conflict with Azerbaijan in 2020. 
Thousands take to the streets of Yerevan and hundreds are arrested after Armenia's prime minister appears to hint at a handover of long-disputed land to Azerbaijan. Armenia and Azerbaijan have long been at odds over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. In 2020, Azerbaijan's military recaptured several regions that had been under control of ethnic Armenian forces since the 1990s.
A protester is detained in Yerevan on May 4.<br /> <br /> Pashinian&#39;s Civil Contract party holds 71 of the legislature&#39;s 101 seats since snap elections were called in June 2021.&nbsp;
7/12 A protester is detained in Yerevan on May 4.

Pashinian's Civil Contract party holds 71 of the legislature's 101 seats since snap elections were called in June 2021. 
Thousands take to the streets of Yerevan and hundreds are arrested after Armenia's prime minister appears to hint at a handover of long-disputed land to Azerbaijan. Armenia and Azerbaijan have long been at odds over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. In 2020, Azerbaijan's military recaptured several regions that had been under control of ethnic Armenian forces since the 1990s.
Trucks block a bridge in central Yerevan on the morning of May 4. The truckers claimed to police that their vehicles had broken down.&nbsp;
8/12 Trucks block a bridge in central Yerevan on the morning of May 4. The truckers claimed to police that their vehicles had broken down. 
Thousands take to the streets of Yerevan and hundreds are arrested after Armenia's prime minister appears to hint at a handover of long-disputed land to Azerbaijan. Armenia and Azerbaijan have long been at odds over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. In 2020, Azerbaijan's military recaptured several regions that had been under control of ethnic Armenian forces since the 1990s.
A scuffle breaks out near the trucks on Yerevan&#39;s Kievyan Bridge on May 4.<br /> <br /> Roadblocks were a key part of the protests that brought Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian to power in the spring of 2018.&nbsp;
9/12 A scuffle breaks out near the trucks on Yerevan's Kievyan Bridge on May 4.

Roadblocks were a key part of the protests that brought Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian to power in the spring of 2018. 
Thousands take to the streets of Yerevan and hundreds are arrested after Armenia's prime minister appears to hint at a handover of long-disputed land to Azerbaijan. Armenia and Azerbaijan have long been at odds over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. In 2020, Azerbaijan's military recaptured several regions that had been under control of ethnic Armenian forces since the 1990s.
A man in military clothing grapples with police in Yerevan on May 2.<br /> <br /> Yerevan residents that RFE/RL&#39;s Armenian Service spoke to on May 3 expressed mixed feelings about the unrest, with one saying, &quot;In democratic countries, governments are formed through elections.&nbsp;Period.&quot;
10/12 A man in military clothing grapples with police in Yerevan on May 2.

Yerevan residents that RFE/RL's Armenian Service spoke to on May 3 expressed mixed feelings about the unrest, with one saying, "In democratic countries, governments are formed through elections. Period."
Thousands take to the streets of Yerevan and hundreds are arrested after Armenia's prime minister appears to hint at a handover of long-disputed land to Azerbaijan. Armenia and Azerbaijan have long been at odds over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. In 2020, Azerbaijan's military recaptured several regions that had been under control of ethnic Armenian forces since the 1990s.
A dog is seen during the arrest of a protester on May 4.<br /> <br /> Another Yerevan resident said, &ldquo;I&#39;m not a big fan of Mr.&nbsp;Pashinian, but these [protesters] need to specify their first, second, and third steps [after toppling the government].&quot;&nbsp;
11/12 A dog is seen during the arrest of a protester on May 4.

Another Yerevan resident said, “I'm not a big fan of Mr. Pashinian, but these [protesters] need to specify their first, second, and third steps [after toppling the government]." 
Thousands take to the streets of Yerevan and hundreds are arrested after Armenia's prime minister appears to hint at a handover of long-disputed land to Azerbaijan. Armenia and Azerbaijan have long been at odds over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. In 2020, Azerbaijan's military recaptured several regions that had been under control of ethnic Armenian forces since the 1990s.
Thousands of protesters gather in central Yerevan on May 1, when a massive demonstration warned the government not to concede further territory to Baku.&nbsp;
12/12 Thousands of protesters gather in central Yerevan on May 1, when a massive demonstration warned the government not to concede further territory to Baku. 
Thousands take to the streets of Yerevan and hundreds are arrested after Armenia's prime minister appears to hint at a handover of long-disputed land to Azerbaijan. Armenia and Azerbaijan have long been at odds over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. In 2020, Azerbaijan's military recaptured several regions that had been under control of ethnic Armenian forces since the 1990s.
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YEREVAN -- Protesters in Armenia's capital scuffled with police on May 4 during another demonstration to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian over his handling of negotiations with Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The situation near the parliament building remained tense on the evening of May 4 after protesters and police jostled and bottles were launched toward security forces in Yerevan, resulting in dozens of arrests.

Authorities warned protesters chanting “Armenia without Nikol” against trying to seize the parliament building, which was cordoned off by hundreds of police in riot gear. Earlier in the day truckers briefly blocked a bridge in central Yerevan, telling authorities their vehicles had broken down.

"The opposition hopes to achieve success by imitating what we have done," Pashinian told lawmakers in a speech to the National Assembly, referring to mass street protests that propelled him to power in 2018. He warned opposition parties against "crossing red lines."

The situation was initially calm as thousands of protesters gathered in the streets, but a crush began after police formed a cordon made up of several rows of security personnel.

Demonstrators Clash With Police As Anti-Government Protests Continue In Armenia
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Demonstrators Clash With Police As Anti-Government Protests Continue In Armenia
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Armenia's national security service said in a statement that the organizers of the rallies "are planning to incite demonstrators to seize the parliament building, to destabilize the country, and undermine its security and public order."

Deputies from the opposition Hayastan faction said there were people who were trying to create tension and urged the protesters not to succumb to their provocations.

Opposition leader Ishkhan Saghatelian, who has called Pashinian “a traitor” and said the street protests will force him to resign, said protests will grow and last until Pashinian steps down.

“We can speak with the authorities about only one thing -- their immediate departure,” he said.

Anti-government demonstrations over what the opposition says are concessions to Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh have been taking place since last month. Protesters on May 1 announced the beginning of a "decisive phase of the struggle" and large-scale civil disobedience actions this week.

Police said that more than 200 protesters were detained on May 3 as they temporarily blocked several streets in Yerevan's center and other provincial cities.

The protesters are calling on Pashinian to resign after he and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev agreed last month to start drafting a bilateral peace treaty to resolve the conflict around Nagorno-Karabakh and set up a joint commission on demarcating their common border during talks in Brussels.

Baku wants the peace deal to be based on five elements, including a mutual recognition of each other’s territorial integrity. Pashinian has publicly stated that the elements are acceptable to Yerevan in principle, fueling Armenian opposition claims that he is ready to recognize Azerbaijani sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azerbaijan regained control of parts of the breakaway region in the 2020 war, as well as seven adjacent districts that had been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces since the end of a separatist war in 1994. Some 2,000 Russian troops have been deployed to monitor the current cease-fire.

Nagorno-Karabakh, which had been under ethnic Armenian control for nearly three decades, is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.

With reporting by AP and AFP
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