Armenian protesters demand PM's resignation over peace moves
As Politico.eu reports, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Armenia's capital on Thursday, 9 May. Opposition leaders demand the prime minister's removal, arguing that his plans for peace with Azerbaijan, their long-standing rival, are unacceptable.
Speaking from the stage at the central Republic Square in Yerevan, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanian issued an ultimatum to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, giving him one hour to resign. After the deadline had passed, it was extended by 15 minutes, but there was still no public response from the prime minister.
"Since he did not respond, he showed that he despises and rejects those who elected him," Galstanian told the gathered crowd. "We will force him to do so," he added.
The cleric urged the Armenian parliament to initiate the process to remove Pashinyan and warned that otherwise, acts of "peaceful civil disobedience" would occur. He started the protests by singing the national anthem and reciting the Lord's Prayer.
During the protests, the police formed a defensive line between the demonstrators and the government building near Pashinyan's office, reportedly around the parliament.
"All illegal behaviors threatening the constitutional order will be neutralized using all tools prescribed by law," the National Security Service emphasized.
Armenia demands the prime minister's resignation
The protests stem partly from the fact that in April, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Armenia had agreed to voluntarily return four border villages it had occupied for over 30 years since the First Karabakh War.
