Thousands protest in Yerevan to demand Armenia's Pashinyan resign

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Armenia's capital accusing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of betraying his country by trying to appease Azerbaijan.

They included relatives of those who lost their lives in the 2020 Second Karabakh War, according to Armenia's news.am news agency.

The demonstrators, on Wednesday, demanded that Pashinyan not be given a vote of confidence as well as the resignation of the government.

Police blocked the street at the entrance to parliament to prevent the protesters from entering.

After tensions during the day, the number of demonstrators in front of parliament increased in the evening hours.

Baku and Yerevan have been engaging in a deadly battle since Monday that killed 155 soldiers on both sides. 

Armenian PM Pashinyan told parliament that 105 Armenian soldiers had died in the recent flare-up while the count of Azerbaijani fatalities given by Baku stands at 50.

READ MORE: Azerbaijan calls for ceasefire with Armenia as deaths soar

Ceasefire

According to posts on social media, the protesters tried to break the doors of the parliament building.

Footage showed the protesters calling for Pashinyan's resignation, shouting slogans against him and trying to break through a police barrier.

The demonstrators reacted to statements by Pashinyan in his speech earlier in the day to parliament that he wanted to sign a peace agreement with Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan said the Armenian army personnel had laid mines on land and roads between positions along the border which triggered clashes.

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a territory internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan.

In 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and over 300 settlements and villages that were occupied by Armenia, and the fighting ended with a deal brokered by Russia.

READ MORE: Armenia has scaled up cross-border attacks: Azerbaijan