The protesters are trying to force their way into the government building, throwing eggs and packages with red paint on it
Armenian police on Wednesday afternoon began detaining women members of the Veto opposition movement who staged a protest outside the government building demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The protest was broadcast in real time by local news portals.
“Open the doors, we must enter the building and remove the pro-Turkish government that has surrendered our lands and killed thousands of our guys. Get out of the way”, – the protesters chanted and started egging the cabinet building, after which the detentions began.
The situation remains tense at the moment, with activists trying to force their way into the government building, throwing eggs and bags of red paint at it. Detentions continue, with the Red Berets special police unit arriving on the scene. The police press office has not yet given the number of detainees.
April 7 is Motherhood and Beauty Day in Armenia, to which the women have timed their action.
In Armenia, protests against Pashinyan and his government have been ongoing since November 9 last year, when he, together with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, signed a trilateral statement on ending hostilities in the conflict zone around Nagorno-Karabakh, ending the fighting in the region which began on September 27. The opposition held the prime minister responsible for the outcome of these events.
To resolve the internal political crisis, Pashinyan announced that snap parliamentary elections will be held in the country on 20 June, but some of his opponents continue to demand the immediate resignation of the prime minister and his cabinet and the appointment of an interim government.