protesters blockade four ministries
Demonstrators led by Armenian MP Nikol Pashinyan, the leader of the opposition Civil Contract party, surrounded the building of Yerevan Municipality at around 3 p.m. on Wednesday, urging Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan to go out.
The police officers immediately locked the two entrances of the building, preventing the protesters from breaking into the city hall.
Afterwards, the opposition protesters staged a sit-in at Grigor Lusavorich Street close to the Municipality, with groups of activists joining them from the France Square.
The opposition leader announced they are waiting for news about the releases of the detained activists, as promised by police officers.
After their sit-in, the demonstrators marched to the Republic Square to block the entrances of the government buildings housing the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice, Diaspora and Education and Science.
Addressing the protesters, Pashinyan said he had to leave for 1.5 hours to conduct a consultation with organizers of the protest campaign Armen Grigoryan and David Sanasaryan ahead of today’s big assembly in downtown Yerevan.
Before heading to the headquarters of the Civil Contract party, he urged the activists to display a respectful attitude towards police officers and the employees of ministries.
Mass anti-government demonstrations resumed in Armenia on Wednesday morning, protesting ex-president Serzh Sargsyan’s nomination and election as the country’s prime minister.