Eggs thrown at MPs, fistfights break out as protests continue in Armenia

Protests continue in Armenia demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, whom the opposition has declared a “traitor” after the signing of the Karabakh truce back in November.

On the morning of December 28, hundreds of people staged another protest demonstration near the parliament building demanding the immediate resignation of the prime minister, and a verbal skirmish with MPs even escalated into a fight.

Reinforced police forces have been called in to man the entrances to the National Assembly where an extraordinary meeting is to be held.

The protesters greeted the MPs with shouts of “Shame!”

There was an incident with another pro-government MP Sisak Gabrielyan.

The protesters blocked the road for his car and did not allow him to enter the territory of the parliament.

After an oral skirmish, a fight broke out.

An MP from the My Step faction got out of the car and attacked the opposition.

Pashinyan’s speech

The day before Nikol Pashinyan gave an interview to the Public TV Channel of Armenia.

The head of the Cabinet commented on the opposition’s statements that the leader, who was defeated in the war, cannot hold elections.

This was a comment on early parliamentary elections called for by Pashinyan, who proposes to hold them in 2021. Last week he invited parliamentary and extra-parliamentary forces to discuss this issue.

“I will never shirk responsibility, but, on the other hand, I consider it equally obligatory and possible to reveal the whole truth about this war. After all, there are dozens of testimonies of how people, including high-ranking officials, took out street lamps from settlements still under Armenian control, saying that they had to collect them and take them with them. Among such people there are those who are connected with the opposition,” the prime minister said.

In his words, during the pre-election campaign before the elections, all political forces in Armenia will have to speak to the people and give explanations on these facts.