Protests resume in Yerevan

In the Armenian capital, protesters took to the streets again after a two-day break, an Interfax correspondent in Yerevan reports.

According to the agency, the demonstrators are holding marches and blocking roads with the help of garbage cans and benches. In particular, the avenues connecting different parts of the city with the center of Yerevan and the central Mashtots avenue were blocked; Roads to the central square of Yerevan - Republic Square were closed.

In addition to the capital, protests are taking place in the Aragatsotn region of Armenia; local residents blocked the Ashtarak-Yerevan highway north of the Armenian capital, Interfax writes.

Nikol Pashinyan, the leader of the protest movement, the head of the Elk parliamentary bloc, earlier called for resuming protests and blocking roads. He stated that the roads in Yerevan should be open again by 4 pm local time (5 pm Moscow time), since another rally will be held in the Republic Square in the evening.

The protest is directed against the ruling Republican Party, an RBC correspondent reports from Yerevan.

• On April 13, rallies began in Yerevan against the election of former President Serzh Sargsyan as prime minister, who was nominated by the ruling Republican Party for the post of prime minister. Despite protests, the parliament elected Sargsyan as prime minister, but he was forced to resign a week later.
• After Sargsyan's resignation, protests in Armenia continued - already against the Republican Party, which has a majority in parliament. Its leaders have declared that they will not nominate their own candidate for the post of prime minister. Nikol Pashinyan is currently the only candidate who claims to be the head of government.
• Armenia after the constitutional reform became a parliamentary republic. The president became a ceremonial figure, and power was concentrated in the hands of the prime minister, appointed by parliament.