Protests have been continuing since the beginning of May in Armenian capital city of Yerevan. After Armenia’s loss of the Nagorno-Karabakh war, opposition members protesting the decisions of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who pursued a policy of starting negotiations with Turkey and Azerbaijan, gathered in the French Square in the capital Yerevan in the evening. The demonstrators chanted anti-Pashinyan slogans during their protest. During the protest, the Armenian police took action after the crowd approached the government building. The police blocked the passage of the protesters by forming barrier, and harshly responded to the demonstrators. Trying to drive the demonstrators away with batons, the police dragged some people on the ground and took them into custody. Meanwhile, some of the demonstrators blocked by the police turned their route to Pashinyan’s residence. The demonstrators demanded Pashinyan’s resignation with slogans. The group again encountered the intervention of the police. It’s learned that while the demonstrators were treated harshly by the police, and many people were taken into custody.
On the other hand, the Armenian Ministry of Health announced that a total of 60 people, 39 of them police officers, were taken to hospitals in the incidents. The Ministry stated that 10 people have been discharged and 50 injured people continue to be treated. Armenian media reported that more than 100 people were detained in the demonstrations that continued until late hours. The Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs didn’t comment on the number of detentions.