US State Department reacts to Armenia demonstrations

The US State Department has reacted to the latest developments in Armenia, mentioning that the State Department is closely following the ongoing demonstrations in downtown Yerevan and other cities of Armenia,

“We note the significant protests taking place in Yerevan and other cities in Armenia, as thousands of Armenian citizens have taken to the streets to exercise their right to expression and peaceful assembly. We are monitoring closely ongoing protests in downtown Yerevan and other cities in Armenia. We are encouraged by the responsible and respectful behavior of the vast majority of protestors and police throughout the last several days. We are troubled, however, by reports of sporadic clashes between police and protesters, including some injuries. We encourage both government authorities and the protesters to exercise restraint and avoid any escalatory or violent actions”, the US State Department said, according to the US Embassy in Armenia.

Since April 13, opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan and his supporters are carrying out demonstrations in Yerevan. The situation escalated when the crowd began sporadically blocking traffic and launching sit-ins in major streets and squares of the city. On the same day, a brief clash took place between police officers and demonstrators in Baghramyan Avenue. Six police officers, Pashinyan himself and around 40 demonstrators sought medical attention.