Protesters once again take to streets in Yerevan as demonstrations enter 2nd week

After a week of sporadic demonstrations throughout Yerevan, opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan and his crowd of supporters once again took to the streets of the Armenian capital Friday morning – starting a march from the Gyulbenkyan Street.

The opposition leader told his followers to block the street with cars. Police dispatched a tow truck to remove the vehicle, which prompted the demonstrators to surround and block it.

Heavy police presence was reported at the scene as the situation escalated, but fortunately the sides didn’t clash.

The MP once again called on his crowd to block the streets across Yerevan.

Deputy Chief of Police of Yerevan Valery Osipyan was on-site negotiating with the MP.

Osipyan once again reminded the protesters that they are required by law to notify the police about their actions.

Opposition protests began in the Armenian capital of Yerevan a week ago.

The rallies are led by Opposition lawmaker Nikol Pashinyan, who has called on his supporters to launch civil disobedience.

The rallies began with a sit-in at France Square in downtown Yerevan, followed by sporadic marches in the city streets. The protesters even began blocking intersections and shutting down traffic. The situation escalated when the crowd of protesters and MP Pashinyan himself breached into the headquarters of Public Radio of Armenia, demanding airtime on April 14.

Then on April 16, protesters and riot police clashed in a brief incide...