Armenian Demonstrators Wrestle With Police as Anti-PM Protests Enter 8th Day

Protesters blocked traffic and clashed with security forces in the Armenian capitol of Yerevan on April 20, as demonstrations against the appointment of former president Serzh Sargsyan as prime minister entered their eighth day.

Sargsyan, who served as president from 2008 to early 2018, was elected as prime minister by parliament on April 17. Critics say his election is anti-democratic and have branded it as a power-grab. In 2015, Armenia held a constitutional referendum which lessened the power of the president and gave greater power to the parliament.

The state-owned ArmenPress news agency said several roads in Yerevan were fully or partially closed due to protests on April 20.

This footage shows demonstrators wrestling with police as they attempted to make arrests. Credit: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty via Storyful