2020−2021 Armenian protests

On 10 November, when the protests erupted, there were fights as protesters tried to get over to the podium to speak and were shouted down, with some throwing bottles.[22] Protesters also seized the parliament building by breaking a metal door, and pulled the President of the National Assembly of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan from a car, demanding to know the whereabouts of Pashinyan. He was beaten by the protesters and later taken to hospital, where he underwent surgery and was said to be in good condition.[23]

The Prime Minister's daughter Mariam Pashinyan said on her Facebook page that the demonstrators entered the room of her younger sisters.[24] The AFP news agency reported that the police authorities who were present did little to prevent the disorder and people roamed the hallways of the government building, where the doors had been opened and the contents in the offices were thrown around.[22]

At about 04:00, a group of approximately 40 people attempted to break into the Yerevan office of Azatutyun, the Armenian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). Executive producer Artak Hambardzumyan said that the group first shouted at the Azatutyun offices, calling its employees "Turks" and traitors, and demanded that its journalists leave the country. The attackers also kicked and punched the office door, unsuccessfully trying to break in and "take Azatutyun’s server."[25] The protesters also ransacked the Open Society Foundation office in downtown Yerevan.[26] On the same day, six people were detained on suspicion of organizing mass riots, and calling to seize power and to overthrow the constitutional order.[27]

The Armenian Prosecutor General's Office urged the citizens to refrain from organizing, holding or participating in rallies,[28] while clashes broke out between the protestors, who were chanting "Nikol is a traitor!",[29] and the Armenian security forces on Freedom Square in Yerevan, where three law enforcement officers were injured.[30] The protesters then moved to the building of the Government of Armenia.[31] The Armenian opposition announced the creation of the National Salvation Committee in response to the arrests.[32] The protests concluded at late night.[33]

At midday, a small group of protesters gathered at the Matenadaran Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts and at the Yerevan Opera Theatre, demanding the release of political prisoners[34] and Pashinyan's resignation.[35] Then, the opposition party Sasna Tsrer held a rally on Yerevan's Freedom Square.[36] The Armenian police, having pulled up additional forces to the area, broke up the rally and arrested its participants.[37]

A rally organized by 17 opposition parties took in Yerevan throughout the day, demanding the resignation of Pashinyan.[38] The protestors also mourned the fallen Armenians with candelight.[39]

More protests erupted near the building of the National Assembly of Armenia, demanding Pashinyan's resignation,[40][41] with the parliamentary opposition boycott the session of the National Assembly.[42]

More protests erupted in Yerevan, with anti-Pashinyan protestors blocking the streets. The police, trying to restore traffic, pushed the protesters to the sidewalk.[43]

More protests erupted in Yerevan, with anti-Pashinyan protestors blocking Baghramyan Avenue, and Tigran Mets Avenue. The police units, as well as the military police, intervened, detaining dozens of activists.[44] More protests were reported in others streets of the city,[45] with reported police brutality.[46] In Gyumri, the protestors, demanding the resignation Pashinyan, also blocked the streets.[47]

Protests erupted in Ijevan, demanding Pashinyan's resignation.[48]

Protests erupted in Yerevan against the ceasefire of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war and the government. Their demands were new parliamentary elections, a new government and also ceding Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijan. The 17 opposition parties in Armenia, which have been staging protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, announced that Vazgen Manukyan, Armenia’s first prime minister, is their candidate to lead a proposed “national accord” government.[4] Police clashes with the protesters and then detained protesters. Hundreds attended the protests.[49]

Mass protests demanding the resignation of the government took place nationwide and chanted against the prime minister. Anti-regime protests saw thousands attend and clap on many streets in cities throughout the country. The protesters marched to the residence of the prime minister. The opposition's candidate for prime minister Vazgen Manukyan gave a speech where he issued an ultimatum to Prime Minister Pashinyan to resign by December 8, and warned him that if he did not leave office voluntarily that "the enraged people would tear him apart".[1]

Protests resumed in Armenia after Prime Minister Pashinyan ignored the opposition's ultimatum to resign. Hundreds attended the demonstrations in Yerevan and opposition supporters staged anti-government protests and rallies in other cities. The opposition organised acts of civil disobedience and blocked streets in Yerevan.[50]

On December 9, around 15,000 people protested in Yerevan in front of the Armenian parliament building while Prime Minister Pashinyan addressed the parliament. Pashinyan stated that he would only resign if the people demanded it, and that the demands of the opposition and other groups should not be confused with the demands of the people.[51]

Several hundred supporters of the opposition protested outside the main government building in Yerevan on December 10 while Pashinyan's government held its session. Police used force to unblock streets and detained 101 protestors in Yerevan.[52][53]

Small intermittent protests still occurred.

A strike was called on 22nd December that included support from the subway workers, Yerevan State University members and 17 opposition parties, again calling for the Pashinyan's resignation. The protests grew in size as the opposition set up tents in Republic Square. While there were arrests made, the protests were peaceful. Thousands of protesters marched in the streets of Yerevan in support of the opposition. Pashinyan rejected calls to resign on 23 December and the next day.

On January 14, the Homeland Salvation Movement announced that it would hold rallies in the provinces of Armenia.

On January 15, Vazgen Manukyan and other opposition figures met people in Gyumri,[54] and went to Vanadzor the next day.[55] A number of residents of Shirak Province unsuccessfully attempted to prevent Manukyan from entering Gyumri by blocking the highway․ Manukyan later referred to them as "bums" who had been paid by the ruling "My Step" coalition, which prompted criticism.[56]

On January 26, while holding a rally in the town of Ararat in Ararat Province, Manukyan stated that if the constitutional route to remove Nikol Pashinyan from power did not work, then they would need to carry out a "rebellion", and clarified when asked by journalists that he meant "seizing buildings and forcibly changing the government, of course, without physical violence."[57] The next day the Prosecutor General's Office declared that it had studied the video of Manukyan making this statement and sent it to the National Security Service.[58]

In an interview given on January 27, ex-president of Armenia and Homeland Salvation Movement leader Robert Kocharyan declared his intention to participate in the coming snap elections, the date of which has not yet been determined.[59] The opposition's candidate Vazgen Manukyan had earlier rejected the idea of snap elections while Pashinyan remains in power, asserting that Pashinyan would falsify the elections. In early February, opposition leader Ishkhan Saghatelyan of the ARF stated that the coalition members were divided over whether or not to participate in snap elections. The Prosperous Armenia Party, the Homeland Party and ex-president Kocharyan are reportedly in favor of participating, while Serzh Sargsyan's Republican Party is in favor of boycotting snap elections held by Pashinyan's government.[60]

On January 28, former MP of the Republic of Artsakh Vahan Badasyan, who is not associated with the Homeland Salvation Movement, held a rally at Yerablur Military Pantheon, where he stated that Prime Minister Pashinyan had to be removed as an enemy and "eliminated" if necessary, and when asked by journalists to clarify, he stated "physically [eliminated], by arms." Badasyan was arrested and charged with "making public calls to seize power, violate territorial integrity or violently overthrow the constitutional order."[61]