As promised, the ARF began public protests in Yerevan to express the party’s opposition to the recently signed protocols between Armenia and Turkey.

Some 50 party stalwarts have staged a sit-down in front of the RoA Government Building while 24 individuals have begun a hunger strike outside the RoA Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The protestors have been heard chanting such slogans as “No to Preconditions” and “No Concessions to the Turks, Nalbandian Leave Office”. The party has already publicly demanded that RoA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian hand in his resignation.

“The party’s MP’s will not take part in the hunger strike but will participate in the sit-down protest, since they all have much on their plates,” stated ARF MP and Supreme Council member Armen Roustamyan. He added that the protests will continue throughout the six week period, the deadline for the parliaments of the two nations to ratify the protocols.

“This is first and foremost a wake-up call to the people so that these six weeks do not pass with indifference. The people must understand that serious issues hang in the balance,” added MP Roustamyan.

He made it clear that the ARF would pull out all the stops and organize all possible events to put a halt to the passage of the protocols.

“In particular, we must organize hearings in the parliament. Most likely, they will take place on September 23. Of course, we will attend the discussions to be held by the president on September 17 and will make our voices heard. We will do all in our power to inform the people about what actually is being negotiated,” MP Roustamyan noted. “It is not acceptable to conduct an ‘internal discussion’ that will merely result in a ‘yeah or nay’ vote. That is not a discussion but a vote. We believe that modifications must be made to the protocol document.”