YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS. The defense ministry of Armenia has called on the demonstrators of the ongoing Yerevan rally to refrain from attempting to block the streets near the Defense Ministry headquarters, as well as attempts to obstruct vehicles with defense ministry license plates.

The statement said that the defense ministry and the General Staff of the Armed Forces are on 24/7 duty for ensuring the military’s daily functioning. “Nothing can obstruct the implementation of this work”, the statement said.

“Any similar attempt will be strictly prevented”.

As the Yerevan protests entered a 9^th day, opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan announced April 21 that the rally will also march near the Defense Ministry.  The Defense Ministry HQ is located in the Nor Nork district of Yerevan.

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 incident on Baghramyan Avenue – one of the main city streets housing the parliament, Constitutional Court and the Prime Minister’s residence. The Yerevan Police Department (YPD) has called on the opposition crowd to refrain from illegal actions and to maintain public order. 

The protesters largely ignored the YPD demands and continued the rally, initiating sit-ins outside governmental buildings, blocking traffic, obstructing public service staff from entering their offices, even deflating tires of official vehicles parked outside ministries. 
About 100 demonstrators were detained for misdemeanors on April 19. Several others have been placed under arrest for causing a brief riot earlier in central Yerevan. More than 200 were detained Friday, but all were subsequently released shortly thereafter.

Police said they will continue lawfully detaining those who are violating public order.

The rallies resumed Saturday morning.

English –translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan