41 detained as antigovernment protests continue in Yerevan

PanARMENIAN.Net - 41 people were detained in Yerevan on Saturday, May 11, as thousands of people demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s resignation stage campaigns of civil disobedience across the Armenian capital.

Saturday marks the third day of demonstrations led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan and backed by virtually all Armenian opposition groups.

Citizens have been blocking streets in Yerevan, demanding Pashinyan’s resignation.

Galstanyan on Friday reiterated those demands as he addressed the protesters in the city’s central Republic Square in the evening. He charged that Pashinyan lost legitimacy after deciding to hand over several disputed border areas to Azerbaijan. He pointed out that the premier had pledged not to make such concessions in the run-up to the last general elections held in 2021.

Accordingly, the outspoken cleric vowed to continue campaigning for Pashinyan’s removal from power. At the same time, he urged supporters to demonstrate “patience” and brace themselves for sustained street protests that could last longer than many of them expected.

“We will be moving forward step by step,” he said, RFE/RL’s Armenian service reports. “We won’t get tired.”

Galstanyan scheduled the next Republic Square rally for Sunday. In the meantime, he said, he will meet with opposition leaders as well as retired diplomats and security officials supporting his movement to discuss “organizational issues.”

Earlier in the day, a smaller number of protesters led by Galstanyan marched to Armenia’s main state-run universities to again urge their students and faculties to boycott classes and join the protests.