01:40Tens of thousands of Armenians gathered on Yerevan’s central Republic Square on Thursday to rally against the Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation process and demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Footage shows protesters waving Armenian flags and chanting 'Nikol is a traitor'.
"[We call on Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan] to resign. We are in favour of resignation," said Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, addressing the demonstrators from the stage.
Police also reportedly detained a lorry driver who tried to drive into the crowd, although at time of publication, the Armenian law enforcement agencies had not commented on the alleged incident.
According to local media, demonstrators were demanding the start of impeachment proceedings against Pashinyan over his decisions to start border delimitation proceedings with Azerbaijan and to hand over four settlements to Baku.
Local residents reportedly started the protest march on Saturday, May 4, from the border village of Kirants. Galstanyan also stated that the protesters would remain on the streets until Pashinyan steps down.
On Tuesday, Pashinyan said he would not comply with such demands.
"You say stop the process, but what will happen after that? There will only be one thing - a war will break out. At least by analysing who is reacting to this process and how, I am sure that this was the goal - to prevent delimitation, the inevitable consequence of which will be war," the prime minister said.
On April 19, the Armenian Foreign Ministry announced that four villages - Baghanis Ayrum, Ashaghi Askipara, Kheyrimli and Ghizilhajili - would be transferred to Baku.
Following the long-running conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan retook control of the breakaway territory, a separatist area governed by ethnic Armenians, in September.
It followed what Baku called a 'counter-terrorist operation' in the region, which Yerevan described as a 'large-scale aggression'.
Subsequently, Nagorno-Karabakh's government said the self-declared republic would cease to exist by January 2024, while many ethnic Armenians left the area.
Baku claims sovereignty over the territory, while last year the Yerevan government recognised Azerbaijan’s claim - but also called for protection for the region's ethnic Armenians.
'Nikol is a traitor' - Thousands protest in Yerevan against border delimitation, demand PM Pashinyan's resignation
Tens of thousands of Armenians gathered on Yerevan’s central Republic Square on Thursday to rally against the Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation process and demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Footage shows protesters waving Armenian flags and chanting 'Nikol is a traitor'.
"[We call on Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan] to resign. We are in favour of resignation," said Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, addressing the demonstrators from the stage.
Police also reportedly detained a lorry driver who tried to drive into the crowd, although at time of publication, the Armenian law enforcement agencies had not commented on the alleged incident.
According to local media, demonstrators were demanding the start of impeachment proceedings against Pashinyan over his decisions to start border delimitation proceedings with Azerbaijan and to hand over four settlements to Baku.
Local residents reportedly started the protest march on Saturday, May 4, from the border village of Kirants. Galstanyan also stated that the protesters would remain on the streets until Pashinyan steps down.
On Tuesday, Pashinyan said he would not comply with such demands.
"You say stop the process, but what will happen after that? There will only be one thing - a war will break out. At least by analysing who is reacting to this process and how, I am sure that this was the goal - to prevent delimitation, the inevitable consequence of which will be war," the prime minister said.
On April 19, the Armenian Foreign Ministry announced that four villages - Baghanis Ayrum, Ashaghi Askipara, Kheyrimli and Ghizilhajili - would be transferred to Baku.
Following the long-running conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan retook control of the breakaway territory, a separatist area governed by ethnic Armenians, in September.
It followed what Baku called a 'counter-terrorist operation' in the region, which Yerevan described as a 'large-scale aggression'.
Subsequently, Nagorno-Karabakh's government said the self-declared republic would cease to exist by January 2024, while many ethnic Armenians left the area.
Baku claims sovereignty over the territory, while last year the Yerevan government recognised Azerbaijan’s claim - but also called for protection for the region's ethnic Armenians.
Tens of thousands of Armenians gathered on Yerevan’s central Republic Square on Thursday to rally against the Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation process and demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Footage shows protesters waving Armenian flags and chanting 'Nikol is a traitor'.
"[We call on Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan] to resign. We are in favour of resignation," said Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, addressing the demonstrators from the stage.
Police also reportedly detained a lorry driver who tried to drive into the crowd, although at time of publication, the Armenian law enforcement agencies had not commented on the alleged incident.
According to local media, demonstrators were demanding the start of impeachment proceedings against Pashinyan over his decisions to start border delimitation proceedings with Azerbaijan and to hand over four settlements to Baku.
Local residents reportedly started the protest march on Saturday, May 4, from the border village of Kirants. Galstanyan also stated that the protesters would remain on the streets until Pashinyan steps down.
On Tuesday, Pashinyan said he would not comply with such demands.
"You say stop the process, but what will happen after that? There will only be one thing - a war will break out. At least by analysing who is reacting to this process and how, I am sure that this was the goal - to prevent delimitation, the inevitable consequence of which will be war," the prime minister said.
On April 19, the Armenian Foreign Ministry announced that four villages - Baghanis Ayrum, Ashaghi Askipara, Kheyrimli and Ghizilhajili - would be transferred to Baku.
Following the long-running conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan retook control of the breakaway territory, a separatist area governed by ethnic Armenians, in September.
It followed what Baku called a 'counter-terrorist operation' in the region, which Yerevan described as a 'large-scale aggression'.
Subsequently, Nagorno-Karabakh's government said the self-declared republic would cease to exist by January 2024, while many ethnic Armenians left the area.
Baku claims sovereignty over the territory, while last year the Yerevan government recognised Azerbaijan’s claim - but also called for protection for the region's ethnic Armenians.