Protesters block access roads to Republic Square in Yerevan
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As of September 22, further protests are likely in Yerevan, Armenia, in the coming days.
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Armenians rally to demand Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation in Yerevan on November 8, 2021, a year after Pashinyan signed a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement with Azerbaijan. (AP)
Protesters in Yerevan demanding the resignation of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have effectively blocked traffic in Republic Square, situated at the city's center, along with access roads leading to the square, as reported by a Sputnik correspondent on Friday.
These demonstrators have used benches, scooters, and even cars to construct barricades on the streets leading to the square.
Earlier in the day, Armenian opposition groups initiated a protest in front of the Cabinet building in Yerevan. The majority of the protesters are students who have been chanting slogans like "Fight" and "Nikol is a traitor."
Protests have been ongoing in the Armenian capital since Tuesday when Baku initiated "local-level anti-terrorist activities" in Nagorno-Karabakh, aiming to "restore the constitutional order."
Azerbaijani forces claimed to have targeted only military facilities belonging to Armenian forces in the region, while Yerevan described the operation as aggression, reiterating its lack of military presence in the disputed area. Armenian state media reported civilian casualties due to Azerbaijani strikes.
Armenia consented to ceasefire
The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday that Azerbaijan and representatives of the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh had agreed to a complete cessation of hostilities mediated by Russian peacekeepers.
Prime Minister Pashinyan has faced significant criticism since May, when he expressed Yerevan's readiness to recognize Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, including Nagorno-Karabakh, as part of efforts to reach a peace agreement with Baku.
A few days ago, a recent report by AFP showed tensions have been mounting between Armenia and Azerbaijan as locals in Nagorno-Karabkh live in a constant state of fear that a war might be imminent.
Three years since the end of the 2020 war, the situation between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains volatile: as discreet cross-border skirmishes persisted throughout the summer.
"People are simply afraid that they will wake up tomorrow to the sound of bombings, just as in 2020. We don't know how to live in such a situation, how to raise children, when we live under constant stress, and nobody wants to help us," Olga Grigoryan told AFP.
In May, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared that Armenia recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as Azerbaijani territory. However, the situation has since taken a troubling turn, with accusations flying from both sides.
