Protesters block Armavir-Gyumri highway in Armenia

A group of people blocked the Armavir-Gyumri highway in Armenia on Monday morning as part of the ongoing acts of civil disobedience against the unilateral territorial concessions to Azerbaijan.

The protests began late on 19 April after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government announced a border delimitation deal involving the handover of four villages in Tavush Province to Azerbaijan.

MP Gegham Manukyan of the opposition Hayastan faction joined today’s protest on the highway.

Armavir police chief Hovhannes Aristakesyan warned the protesters to unblock the road and not to restrict the free movement of other people. In response, they began chanting “Genocidal Nikol!” and “Nikol the traitor!”.

Defying the police orders, the protesters continued the road blockage for a long time, stating it was part of peaceful civil disobedience.

Traffic was partially restored along the road before the demonstrators again blocked it.