They besieged the government building located there as part of Galstanian’s opposition-backed bid to oust Pashinian, which was triggered by the government’s controversial territorial concessions to Azerbaijan.
The protesters blocked with their cars the streets leading to the sprawling square before occupying it. Despite making a number of arrests and impounding some of those cars, riot police failed to restore traffic through the square.
The crowd stayed there for the next five hours. It did not fully surround the building heavily guarded by security forces, with government members seemingly managing to leave from a back entrance.
Pashinian did not comment on the demonstration during the weekly cabinet session that focused on government efforts to eliminate consequences of Sunday’s severe floods in Armenia’s northern Lori and Tavush provinces. Pashinian and his allies have dismissed the demands for his resignation, defending the handover of several disputed border areas to Azerbaijan.
Galstanian repeatedly branded the premier a “liar and coward” during the protest which he said marked “the most miserable day in his life.”
“He has turned this building into a prison,” the outspoken archbishop told reporters. “Look at these lines of police.”
Galstanian resumed his daily protests in the capital on Sunday. He enjoys the backing of the vast majority of Armenian opposition groups.
It emerged on Thursday that Galstanian met the previous night with Gagik Tsarukian, a wealthy businessman leading the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK). It was a further sign that Tsarukian approves of the protest movement despite not officially joining or endorsing it.
A spokeswoman for Tsarukian said that the meeting focused on the tycoon’s assistance to flood victims requested by Galstanian. The latter echoed the claim while acknowledging that they discussed political developments as well. He would not say whether the BHK leader supports his movement.
Tsarukian’s party had the second largest group in Armenia’s former parliament but failed to win any seats in the current National Assembly elected in 2021. The tycoon was indicted and briefly arrested on corruption charges in 2020 after openly challenging Pashinian. Last November, the Armenian authorities moved to confiscate hundreds of millions of dollars worth of assets belonging to Tsarukian, saying that they were acquired illegally.