In an unprecedented show of civic defiance, protesters today in Yerevan today surrounded a convoy of government cars escorting Minister of Defense Vigen Sargsyan. 

The incident occurred on Komitas Street.

Later in the day, the Ministry of Defense issued the following statement:

“Armenia’s Minister of Defense, a member of Armenia’s Security Council, is an individual enjoying state protection, and any restriction of his mobility is impermissible. Thus, is completely unacceptable for unidentified individuals to block his official vehicle.

“There were unidentified provocateurs and juveniles in the crowd of protesters today when the incident occurred at around 6pm at the intersection of Komitas and Tigranyan Streets. They not only hindered the return of Armenia’s defense minister to his office but disregarded the polite calls of his security team to stop the blockade. They hit one of the escort vehicles and a masked protester attempted to open the door of the car in which the defense minister was sitting. Given the situation, the minister’s security team was forced to employ force to open the road.

“While expressing its concern regarding the incident, the Ministry of Defense urges people not to hinder state security vehicles in the operation of their duties. Such actions can endanger the work of government agencies tasked with ensuring the routine daily military operations of the army.”