Tensions erupted in Yerevan’s municipal council on Friday as police forcibly removed several opposition members during a heated session on Mayor Tigran Avinyan’s public transport fare hike.
The opposition councilors clashed verbally and physically with pro-government members before being ejected from the main auditorium. The session was convened to discuss Avinyan’s recent adjustment to the fare increase, which takes effect on Saturday. Instead of the current flat rate of 100 drams (25 U.S. cents) per ride, the mayor’s office is introducing a complex tariff system with electronic payments and season tickets.
Under the new pricing model, commuters will pay 9,000 drams ($22) per month, 24,000 drams per quarter, or 90,000 drams per year for unlimited access to buses, trolleybuses, and the metro. Additionally, a single ticket valid for 180 minutes will cost approximately 300 drams. In response to public backlash, Avinyan announced on Tuesday that a single-ride ticket would cost 150 drams instead of the initially proposed 300 drams.
Despite this adjustment, opposition factions in the city council have urged residents to resist the fare increase by continuing to pay only 100 drams after February 1. The council, dominated by the ruling Civil Contract party and its allies, approved the revised pricing amid chaotic scenes. A shouting match between Avinyan and Samvel Hakobyan, a member of the opposition Mayr Hayastan bloc, escalated when the mayor expelled Hakobyan from the session. As tensions boiled over, a special police squad entered the chamber and forcibly removed Hakobyan, prompting further scuffles.
Several other Mayr Hayastan councilors attempted to prevent Hakobyan’s removal but were also ejected. In protest, the remaining members of the bloc walked out. Speaking to reporters afterward, Mayr Hayastan leader Manuk Sukiasyan condemned the use of force as unlawful.
“I came here not to fight, but to expose their incompetence,” Hakobyan stated.
The session was also boycotted by councilors aligned with former Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan, who has a strong following on social media.
