News - Rally kicks off in Republic Square in Yerevan (live)

Citizens concerned about the fate of Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh are holding a rally in Republic Square in Yerevan. They demand the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, as well as open a humanitarian corridor to evacuate the people of Artsakh to Armenia. Since early morning, demonstrators blocked several streets in Yerevan. Students from different Yerevan universities joined the action and called on all drivers to leave their cars and join them. Everyone emphasizes that there is a genocide in Artsakh today and immediate steps should be taken. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan earlier said that there is no direct threat to the civilian population of Nagorno-Karabakh: "We believe that the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh should live in their homes, in their homeland, in dignified and safe conditions. At this moment, our assessment is that there is no direct threat to the civilian population of Nagorno-Karabakh." The protests in Yerevan, as well as some regions, have been sparked by the new Azerbaijani aggression unleashed against Artsakh on September 19. Demonstrators demand that Armenian authorities be held responsible for their inaction in the Artsakh issue.