They demanded that the election be annulled given that it took place in an atmosphere fraught with bribery, physical intimidation and foul play. In front of the assembled crowd, Levon Ter-Petrosyan declared that neither he nor those forces supporting him expected such a scandal-ridden and disgraceful election to take place. According to the presidential candidate, Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan organized similar elections in 1998 and 2003.

Representatives of the political and community-wide forces supporting Levon Ter-Petrosyan called on those assembled to stand in the defense of justice till the end. After the public rally at the Matenadaran ended the throngs of people, numbering in the tens of thousands, proceeded to march down Mashtots Avenue. The marchers then turned onto Amiryan Street and crossed through Republic Square and filed up the narrow confines of Nalbandyan Street, turning onto Goryun Street and ended up in Freedom Square by the Opera House. Throughout the procession the marchers chanted slogans such as “Victory”, “Struggle, struggle till the end” and “Serzh must go”.

At the rally late yesterday evening, February 20th, the crowd demanded that the leaders at the podium announce a concrete plan of action. Infuriated by the widespread acts committed to trample justice underfoot, the crowd was more than ready to take decisive action. Calls from the crowd demanded action, “Here and Now!” Several times during the rally movement leaders called for the crowd to calm down and assured the people that they had a well-thought out plan of action prepared and that they weren’t ready to take such drastic steps that might give the authorities a convenient pretext to use force.

Levon Ter-Petrosyan called on the assembled crowd to return to their homes and advised them to return the next day, February 21st, at 3P.M. He promised them that they’d be witness to a momentous development that day.