Opposition rally: Day 8 (updated, photos)

10:39 • 20.04.18

14:03

Pashinyan, who leads the civic movement Make Your Move, Reject Serzh!, reminded the crowd of today’s public demonstration scheduled for 7:00 pm.

The leader of the Civil Contract party also repeatedly urges the protesters to be respectful with the police.

13:36

More activists have been taken to police departments from the intersection connecting Koryun and Abovyan streets (Kentron administrative district).

The demonstrators have closed the trafficable part of the roadway, ignoring the repeated police calls to keep it open. More and more people are joining the protest action. The police have used force to arrest several activists.

Protest marches are simultaneously being held also in Khanjyan Street, Tigran Mets Avenue, as well as Ajapnyak administrative district (where Pashinyan has now rallied a crowd of supporters).

Police forces and demonstrators won't leave Azatutyun Avenue either. The intersection between Tumanyan and Saryan streets is also blocked.

13:32

As the crowd led by Pashinyan reached intersection conencting Halabyan and Kievyan Streets, many truck drivers got off their vehicles to greet the opposition leader.

The intersection is now blocked.

13:00

A total of 107 demonstrators were taken to district police departments as of 1:00 pm.

13:14

Employees of Synopsis Armenia, a company specializing in software engineering, have blocked part of Arshakunyats Avenue.

12:49

The activsits took a short break in the park outside Armenia Medical Center.

Pashinyan said they had been walking 9km since morning.

The crowd later continued the procession down Halabyan Street.

12:25

The procession continues. The activists are heading to Ajapnyak administrative district. The crowd is chanting its traditional slogan, Make Your Move, Reject Serzh!

12:17

The crowd, led by Nikol Pashinyan, is walking down Yeghvard highway at the moment.

12:04

Police sources tell Tert.am that Tirayr Muradyan was not taken to any preccinct after the incident on the Yerevan-Abovyan highway.

"Journalist Tirayr Muradyan was not taken to any police department; he was asked to drive away a little bit from the scene; policemen are now talking to him," he said.

11:28

Tirayr Muradyan, a journalist who was hospitalized on Thursday (after facing violence by plain-clothes police officers), was arrested on the interstate highway connecting Yerevan with the town of Abovyan (Kotayk region).

A police colonel beat Tirayr while he was responding to a journalist. The policemen at the scene were later ordered to take him to a district police department.

11:01

The crowd has crossed the bridge and is now in Davitashen administrative district.

Speaking to reporters covering the developments from the scene, Nikol Pashinyan said he will announce a new plan of actions at the demonstration on Friday evening.

10:43

The crowd is at the moment continuing the procession along Davitashen Bridge.

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The public protests against Serzh Sargsyan’s election as Prime Minister continue in Armenia’s capital, with civic activists continuing their marches along the busy streets and avenues.

At the moment, the crowd led by opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan has blocked Davitashen Bridge.

As of 10:26 am Yerevan time, 26 people were to the police.