Clashes between police and demonstrators in Yerevan; there are  victims on both sides

ArmInfo. Ishkhan Saghatelyan, Coordinator of the Resistance Movement, Deputy Speaker of the RA Parliament from the "Armenia" opposition faction spoke about the  reasons for the brute force used by the police against peaceful  demonstrators.

As the oppositionist said, they marched to the building of the third  building of the government with one goal, to find out the attitude of  the ministers to the document, which they plan to consider on June 3  during an extraordinary meeting of the RA Parliament, which concerns  the Armenian-Azerbaijani and Armenian- Turkish relations.

"We came to the third government building, in a civilized manner, we  said that we would not surround the building, that the MPs wanted to  go up to the ministers to find out their position on the document.  But, since they do not have their own position, or this position is  very similar to the position of the president Azerbaijani Ilham  Aliyev, they, against the law, with the help of the police force,  decided not to allow us to enter the building and go up to the  Ministry. This is a shame," Saghatelyan said.

According to him, several hundred protesters were brought to the  police. "Law enforcement officers used brute shameful force,  including against deputies. And now they are trying to initiate  criminal cases against our supporters, who are now in police  stations," he said.

At the same time, he once again reminded that the opposition clearly  formed the agenda and it is very simple. Saghatelyan noted that  everyone has 5 days to decide which side they are on - if they want  Turkization, want to live without statehood, let them go along with  Nikol (RA Prime Minister, ed. note) and live.

"We do not want to live in such a country. We will fight for the  statehood of Armenia, for Artsakh. We will fight to the last breath,"  the MP said, calling the police officers, who used force against  peaceful protesters "criminals in uniform." He also said that they  would consistently prosecute those who used disproportionate brute  force against demonstrators. At the same time, he was skeptical about  the rule of law in the country under the current authorities.

Meanwhile, Deputy Head of the Public Relations and Information  Department of the Armenian Police Edgar Janoyan, in an interview with  ArmInfo, said that as of 15:30, 111 citizens were detained from the  third government building on suspicion of hooliganism. "Three police  officers were hospitalized," Janoyan said. 

As a result of clashes between law enforcement officers and  demonstrators, there are victims among the peaceful participants in  the protest. According to the media, four demonstrators were  hospitalized. It is also reported about the use of police force  against minors.

As ArmInfo previously reported, this afternoon, clashes took place  near the third building of the RA government between policemen and  members of the Resistance Movement, who demand the resignation of the  current Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan.  According to eyewitnesses, the police surrounded the building and did  not let the Movement participants into the ministerial building. As a  result, clashes broke out between the demonstrators and the police.  Law enforcement officers used force, including against members of  parliament.